Can ‘Shogun’ Break the Record for Most Emmy Wins in a Single Season — and Should It?
Coming into Emmy season, there were plenty of question marks around “Shōgun,” FX’s long-gestating Japanese epic. The series was released weekly, starting at the end of February and running through April, which put it on the early side for modern awards players that prefer to see buzz peaking as voting begins. Reviews were immaculate and ratings were strong, but “Shōgun” didn’t top the Nielsen ratings like certain Netflix originals did, and critical accolades don’t always mean much to the TV Academy. Moreover, “Shōgun” tells its story of 16th century political gamesmanship and cultural friction with an expansive cast and subtitles — would Emmy voters have the patience that awards bodies so often lack for complex dramas in a non-English language?
As it turns out, FX played the game perfectly. The relatively early release gave everyone time to sample and then catch up on one the year’s most widely hailed programs. Viewership was strong enough to spark interest across the industry, and the show, quite frankly, speaks for itself. (It’s grand entertainment on every level, with plenty to appreciate for actors, writers, designers, directors, DPs, and more.)
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Most Emmy prognosticators could tell the plan was coming together as nomination voting approached, but things crystallized when “Shōgun” officially moved from the Limited Series categories to Drama. No longer would it be going toe-to-toe with the resurgent “True Detective: Night Country” or the sleeper hit “Baby Reindeer.” Instead, it had to topple a tarnished “Crown” and, well, few other serious contenders.
Now, it stands on the brink of history. With 25 nominations across 22 categories — in a decidedly down year for drama series — “Shōgun” has a legitimate shot at surpassing the record for most Emmy wins in a single season, set by “Game of Thrones” in 2015. Can it win 12 or more times? And, for the purposes of this article, should it? Below, IndieWire broke down the race, category by category, to see if FX’s big bet deserves the biggest bounty in Emmy history. It’s certainly put in the work.
Style note: For categories where each nominated program consists of multiple individual artists, not all names are listed. It’s just a space issue. Full credits can be found on the Emmys’ website.
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