In doing so, she becomes the first Japanese actress to ever win an Emmy. She's the second Japanese actor to win an Emmy, following her costar Hiroyuki Sanada's win just before her.
"I was crying before my name was announced, I'm a mess today," she began her acceptance speech.
"Thank you to the Academy for naming me alongside my fellow nominees whose work I grew up watching and love. Thank you to John Landgraf and the whole FX team for believing in our story. Thank you, Justin and Rachel, for believing me and giving me this role of a lifetime. Thank you to every single one of the crew and cast, led by Hiro -- he really has opened doors and continues to open doors for people like me. Thank you so much. Cosmo, you are the most honest and truthful and no B.S. actor I know and you made me give my 120%."
She ended, "Thank you to my team and thank you to my family -- Mom, I love you. you are the reason I'm here. You showed me stoicism and that's how I was able to portray Mariko. This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone. Thank you so much!"
Even before this evening's broadcast, Shōgun had already made Emmys history. It received the most-ever nominations for a single season of a television series, and last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys, the show took home fourteen awards, setting the record for the most wins for a single season has already won the most-ever awards for a single season. Sawai's win just adds to its growing total.
For her big night at the Emmys, Sawai wore a custom Vera Wang red gown and Cartier jewelry.
Sawai plays Mariko in Shōgun. Before being cast on the Japanese period drama, she told T&C "I don't know if I've seen anything that, as a Japanese person, [I] could say, 'That is accurate.'" She added, "Reading Mariko's story just really spoke to me so much, and I knew that she was the character that I needed to play."