Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada took home best actor awards at the 76th Emmys for their performances in FX’s samurai drama
Shōgun has made history after a record-breaking night at the Emmys. The FX samurai saga became the first non-English-language show to win the Emmy for best drama at the 76th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (September 15).
Its stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai also became the first-ever Japanese actors to win Emmys, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Ahead of the ceremony, Shōgun had already broken records to earn the most wins by any series in a single year, having won 14 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys last week.
It won a further four awards at the Primetime Emmys on Sunday, including best drama, best actress in a drama for Sawai, best actor in a drama for Sanada and best drama directing for Frederick E.O. Toye. Set in 1600 Japan, Shōgun centres around a military leader who fights for his life at the dawn of a civil war.
READ MORE: Get Disney+ for £1.99 as streamer brings back mega-deal
READ MORE: Watch Sky TV for free, as provider launches mega Stream and Netflix deal
The story is told from the perspective of English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who rises from outsider to samurai while being used as a pawn in Lord Yoshii Toranaga’s (Sanada) struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain – or Shōgun. The 10-part limited series is based on James Clavell’s 1975 bestselling novel of the same name – itself a fictionalised version of historical events – which also spawned a 1980 TV adaptation.
It is loosely inspired by the true story of English navigator William Adams, the first Westerner to set foot in Japan who eventually became a samurai. The show debuted in February after being in the works for almost 10 years and became FX’s most-watched series ever, with its premiere racking up nine million views after six days.
It was met with critical acclaim from both Western and Japanese audiences, currently boasting a 99 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Although the series wrapped up as Clavell’s novel ended, Shōgun has been greenlit for two additional seasons, which will follow a completely original story from husband and wife co-creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks.
Now, for telly fans who want to see what all the fuss is about, every episode of Shōgun is available to stream for £1.99 thanks to a new limited-time deal.
How to watch Shōgun for £1.99
Shōgun is streaming now exclusively on Disney+, which you can join for £1.99 with a brand-new deal. The streamer has brought back its popular deal allowing new and returning customers to join the Standard with Ads plan for £1.99 a month for three months.
Disney+ has brought back its popular deal that lets new and returning customers join its Standard with Ads plan for £1.99 a month for three months.
This means members can stream hit shows like Only Murders in the Building, The Bear and Shōgun, plus countless titles from Star Wars and Marvel, for a fraction of the usual price.
After three months, the subscription will automatically renew at the then-current monthly price – currently £4.99 – until cancelled. For those looking for a bigger saving, members can get the equivalent of two months free by paying for a year upfront, bagging 12 months for the price of 10 on the Standard or Premium plans.
A 12-month subscription to the Premium plan now costs £109.90 – saving £21.98 compared to paying monthly – and includes higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously. A Disney+ membership also includes hit titles like The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and the new Marvel series Agatha All Along.
Elsewhere, Sky is offering something for nothing as it brings back the popular Sky Stream and Netflix free trial. Usually £31, this deal includes free access to both platforms for a month, offering hit shows like House of the Dragon and upcoming The Batman spin-off, The Penguin, absolutely free with the Sky Stream box, which allows viewers to watch TV via WiFi rather than a traditional satellite dish or aerial.
