In a heartwarming moment at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, rising star Anna Sawai captured her first Golden Globe for best female actor in a TV drama series for her role in FX's "Shōgun," while graciously acknowledging fellow nominee Kathy Bates.
During her acceptance speech, Sawai displayed genuine humility, stating "Thank you to the voters for voting for me, even though I would vote for Kathy Bates any day." The candid comment drew appreciative laughter from the audience, including Bates herself, who playfully ripped up what appeared to be her prepared acceptance speech for her "Matlock" nomination.
The 32-year-old actress triumphed in a competitive category that included veterans Emma D'Arcy ("House of the Dragon"), Keira Knightley ("Black Doves"), Keri Russell ("The Diplomat"), and Maya Erskine ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith").
Sawai's win adds to her growing list of groundbreaking achievements. In 2024, she made history at the Emmy Awards as the first woman of Asian descent to win outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of Toda Mariko in "Shōgun."
The historical drama, set in 1600s feudal Japan, dominated the Golden Globes ceremony, also securing wins for best TV drama and acting honors for costars Hiroyuki Sanada and Tadanobu Asano.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Japan, Sawai began her acting career at age 11 in Nippon TV's production of "Annie." She has since appeared in notable projects including "F9" and Apple TV+'s "Pachinko" before her breakthrough role in "Shōgun."