At the 76th Emmy Awards on 15 September 2024, FX’s Shogun completed a historic sweep, winning 18 Emmys, including best drama series and awards for its lead actors Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai. The series, adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel, was the most awarded programme of a single season in television history.
Shogun, a story of shipwrecked Englishman John Blackthorne and the powerful warlord Toranaga, set in feudal Japan in 1600, had been brought to life with extraordinary ambition, shot on location in Japan and performed in Japanese and English. Its craftsmanship, scale and respect for its source material made it the prestige television event of the year.
Its sweep marked a turning point: the Emmys, long dominated by American-set dramas, honoured a series made with Japanese language, history and talent at its centre, a recognition that the audience for ambitious, global storytelling had grown far beyond Hollywood. Plans for two more seasons, adapting the broader saga, were announced within days.