Shogun-Lady-Ochiba-Fumi-Nikaidô-Toranaga-Hiroyuki-SanadaWith one of Shōgun‘s many impressive Emmy wins at the 76th ceremony, the FX series has broken a longstanding record that one show should have ended a couple of years ago. The historical drama, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, is based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same, following an English sailor who becomes stranded in Japan, experiencing culture shock and meeting many interesting characters. Shōgun has received critical acclaim for its first season, which aired from February 27 to April 23, 2024. So, its numerous Emmy wins aren’t surprising, but they are still monumental.

Shōgun was nominated for eight awards at the 76th Primetime Emmys in September 2024, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and more. Ultimately, the FX show won four Emmys, making its success rate 50 percent. Shōgun made history by winning Outstanding Drama Series, beating shows like The Crown, Fallout, The Gilded Age, The Morning Show, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Slow Horses, and 3 Body Problem​​​​​​. While its accomplishments are exciting, one can’t help but look back to two years ago, wondering why another popular series didn’t achieve what Shōgun did at the 2024 Emmys.

Shogun Is The First Non-English Show To Win The Outstanding Drama Emmy

Shogun Has Made Emmys History

Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne and Anna Sawai as Mariko in Shogun
Anna Sawai as Mariko gazing forward resolutely yet enigmatically in a scene from Shogun
 Mariko sat on the floor of a temple surrounded by other people in Shogun Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari in Shogun Anna Sawai as Mariko being led by a guard in ShogunCosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne and Anna Sawai as Mariko in Shogun Anna Sawai as Mariko gazing forward resolutely yet enigmatically in a scene from Shogun Mariko sat on the floor of a temple surrounded by other people in Shogun Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari in Shogun Anna Sawai as Mariko being led by a guard in Shogun

With Shōgun‘s Outstanding Drama Series win at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, the historical drama is now the first non-English TV series to win in the category. From the Emmys’ inaugural ceremony in 1949 until its 75th show, every single Outstanding Drama Series champion has been an English-speaking project.Succession has been the most recent TV show that has dominated the category, winning three times over the course of its four seasons. However, now that Succession has ended, it’s time for a new top dog.

Not only did Shōgun win Outstanding Drama Series, but it also took home trophies for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Hiroyuki Sanada for “The Abyss of Life”), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Anna Sawai for “Crimson Sky”), and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Frederick E. O. Toye for “Crimson Sky”). Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series but lost to The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup. Two Shōgun season 1 episodes also received nods for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, but they both lost to Slow Horses​​​​​​.

Squid Game Should Have Set Shogun’s Emmys Drama Show Record In 2022

Squid Game Was Nominated For Outstanding Drama Series But Lost

Gi-hun on the phone in Netflix's first footage of Squid Game season 2 Masked guards holding onto their guns in Squid Game The Red Guard walking between rows of contestants in Squid Game Gi-hun trying to slap a recruiter in Squid-Game Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun with his finger in the air in Squid Game Gi-hun on the phone in Netflix's first footage of Squid Game season 2 Masked guards holding onto their guns in Squid Game The Red Guard walking between rows of contestants in Squid Game Gi-hun trying to slap a recruiter in Squid-Game Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun with his finger in the air in Squid Game

While everyone will and should be celebrating Shōgun‘s historic Outstanding Drama Series win, it’s also a reminder of Squid Game‘s loss in 2022. The Netflix South Korean dystopian survival thriller was nominated for the Emmy two years ago. However, Squid Game lost to Succession. Given the hype surrounding Squid Game and its numerous awards, the Outstanding Drama Series result was shocking. Nevertheless, Shōgun rectified the mistake in 2024, becoming the first non-English show to win the Emmy for best drama.