‘Shogun’ Star Anna Sawai Is on Fire on the Emmys Red Carpet

Anna Sawai brought elegance to the 2024 Emmys red carpet.

Sawai, 32, arrived at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15. The Shōgun star stunned in a custom strapless red floor-length Vera Wang gown. The dress featured a peplum style skirt. She accessorized the look with Cartier jewelry.

While at the event, Sawai shared to E! that Vera Wang was the first designer who popped into her mind to design her Emmys look. Sawai was ecstatic that Wang, 75, ultimately said yes.

“It’s very emotional,” Sawai said on the E! Live from the Red Carpet about how meaningful the night is to her. “You mentioning how emotional just makes me even more emotional.”

2024 Emmys Red Carpet Arrivals

The up-and-coming actress is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as translator Toda Mariko in the historical drama. Sawai is up against Jennifer Aniston, Carrie Coon, Maya Erskine, Imelda Staunton and Reese Witherspoon.

After learning she was nominated, Sawai confessed that she didn’t expect to be up for the award given how many additional talented actresses were up for contention.

“When they announced three people before me, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is not going to happen,’” she said during an August episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. “And then when I’m thinking that, my manager calls, and I miss my name.”

This is Sawai’s first Emmy nomination in her career. If she wins, she will be the first Japanese actress to take home the award.

Before landing her role in Shōgun, Sawai made a name for herself in her native Japan as one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Faky who performed from 2013 to 2018. She then decided to pursue acting, joining the Fast & Furious Franchise for F9 in 2021. The following year, she joined the cast of Apple TV’s series Pachinko, which premiered in 2022.

In addition to the nod to Sawai, Shōgun is up for 25 awards including the most prestigious award of the evening Outstanding Drama Series. The FX series will face off against The Crown, Fallout, The Gilded Age, The Morning Show, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Slow Horses and 3 Body Problem.

This year, Shōgun made history as it became the first Japanese-language show to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. It is the second non-English-language series to be nominated for the award, with Netflix’s Squid Game, which is of Korean origin, being the first.

See the Complete List of 2024 Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners

Sawai added that she was “very happy for the team” after learning Shōgun achieved a major milestone.

“Everyone worked so hard, and I’m sure for every show everyone’s working hard,” she said to Meyers. “But I’m just really proud and happy.”

Earlier this month, it was proven that the Shōgun team’s hard work paid off. At the Creative Arts Emmys, which took place on September 8, Shōgun took home 14 awards including Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Period Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series and more.