Meet Anna Sawai, Shogun Actor Earns First Lead Actor Emmy For Japan

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards were a night to remember for many firsts. Adding to it is first-time Emmy nominee Anna Sawai has become the first actress of Asian descent to win in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category at the Emmys. She won the award for her portrayal of Lady Mariko in FX’s Shōgun, this year’s most nominated series.

Sawai was nominated alongside Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Maya Erskine (Mr. and Mrs. Smith), Imelda Staunton (The Crown) and Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show).

She began her speech by thanking the Academy for nominating her alongside people she “grew up watching and love.” She also thanked her mother, who attended the ceremony with her and inspired her portrayal of Lady Mariko.

“Lastly, thank you to my team and thank you to my family. Mom—I love you, you are the reason I’m here,” Sawai added. “You showed me stoicism, and that’s how I was able to portray Mariko. This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone.”

Anna Sawai wins lead actress in a drama series at the 2024 #Emmys for #Shogun pic.twitter.com/XDSdlv8VHG

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 16, 2024

Shōgun also took home Best Drama Series and Lead Actor for Hiroyuki Sanada, for a record-breaking total of 18 Emmys for a single season, and had already made Emmy history last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys, breaking that same record with 14 wins.

Who is 'Shogun' star Anna Sawai?

Sawai was a one-time J-pop star from the girl group Faky before landing a small action role as Elle Lue in 2021's "F9." Since then, Sawai has moved to plum TV roles, including the Godzilla-opposing former science teacher Cate Randa in the Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. She also played a Harvard-educated, Japan-based businesswoman Naomi in the multi-generational, Emmy-winning Apple TV+ series "Pachinko."