“Shōgun” star Anna Sawai made history as the first Asian performer to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday. Sawai was honored for her captivating leading performance as Lady Toda Mariko in the acclaimed FX series.
Her historic Emmy win comes six years after Sandra Oh became the first Asian performer to be nominated in the lead drama actress category in 2018 for BBC America’s “Killing Eve.” Oh was nominated three more times for the same role (2019, 2020 and 2022), but never won.
Sawai wasn’t the only Asian actress hoping to make a stamp on history.