Shogun entered Sunday’s 2024 Emmy Awards as already the most honored television program in a single season in awards history — and the major prizes hadn’t even been handed out yet. At last weekend’s Creative Arts Awards, FX’s feudal Japanese epic swept a staggering 14 trophies for a host of achievements, shattering a record previously set by the miniseries John Adams HBO's and cementing his place as the clear frontrunner heading into Sunday's main 2024 Emmys ceremony. The astonishing journey of Shogun since its February premiere then ended in triumph tonight, with the series picking up a handful of additional major wins, including Best Drama, which gave FX its first-ever victory in that category.
After Shogun spent many years in development, FX pulled out all the stops when it came to finally launching the series created by Justin Marks And Rachel Kondo. A massive promotional campaign was backed by some of the best reviews for a new series in recent memory, helping the network to record ratings. At Sunday's Emmy Awards, the series was up for eight other awards, including best drama series, lead actor (Hiroyuki Sanada), the main actress (Anna Sawai) and directing, all of which she won. Although she lost in a few categories, including lead actor and writing, she delivered one of the best performances ever recorded at the Emmys.
” Shogun “It’s a series about transference, not about what’s lost but about what’s found,” Marks said in his speech for best drama series, before passing the trophy to Sanada, considered a leader of the project as both star and producer, for a few final words.
In terms of awards, this recognition carries considerable weight. The Primetime Emmys have been notoriously reluctant to reward non-English speaking performances, the Squid Game 2021 marks a long-awaited breakthrough. However, to recognize so many actors, the Television Academy had to venture into uncharted territory. The list includes Hollywood legend Sanada, one of the most iconic faces of samurai cinema, who was up for only his first major American acting award. Also on the list is breakthrough actor Sawai, who gets what can be assumed to be the first of many nominations in a new, more inclusive and global environment of on-screen storytelling.
“I hope this series will change things,” Sanada told me before the premiere of Shogun. Before I accepted the role, I asked the writers, director, and producers, “How do you want to show our culture? How do you want to show our culture to the world?” I told them that if I accepted the role, I needed certain things, including that if you didn’t hire Japanese actors for a Japanese role, I wouldn’t be able to participate in this project. I made that clear. I set conditions.”
The other unique element of the square Shogun at the Emmys was its positioning. FX ordered and promoted the series as a miniseries, and the assumption was that it would compete in those categories for awards. The massive success that followed, however, led the network and the show's producers to reconsider their position, with a second season now in development. This meant that Shogun was in competition with several series already broadcast, including The Morning Show And Slow Horses, rather than with an entirely new program. In this context, Shogun was the cool kidThis probably made it easier for voters to choose.
Perhaps Sanada said it best in the conclusion of his speech: “We can create a better future together.”
Originally published by Vanity Fair US
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