The Slate Of Emmy Nominations For ‘Shōgun’ Are Monumental For Non-English Language TV

When “Shōgun” emerged as the top-nominated project during Wednesday’s Primetime Emmy nominations, it wasn’t just a win for the show’s stars and creators.

The sprawling FX historical drama, which is set in feudal Japan, was already an achievement for Asian representation, and now the series can celebrate being the second ever non-English language program to nail a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.

Following in the footsteps of the 2021 Netflix thrill ride “Squid Game,” “Shōgun” has proved that subtitles won’t dissuade viewers when masterful storytelling, acting and production are at the forefront.

In addition to the show’s top drama nod, “Shōgun” picked up a hearty slate of nominations across various acting categories.

Lead Hiroyuki Sanada earned a nod for best lead actor in a drama for playing the cunning Yoshii Toranaga, and Anna Sawai will compete for best lead dramatic actress for her role as the enigmatic Toda Mariko.

With plenty of stellar performances to behold, “Shōgun” also snagged double accolades in the best supporting dramatic actor realm.

Tadanobu Asano, who plays the surly samurai Kashigi Yabushige, will compete against co-star Takehiro Hira, nominated for his role as the brusque warlord Ishido Kazunari.

Featured player Nestor Carbonelle also came out with an honor for best guest actor in a drama, as Spanish seaman Vasco Rodrigues.

“Shōgun” continued to stack accolades in the technical categories, including fields like production design, original dramatic score, stunt performance, sound editing, casting and directing. The show also garnered double recognition in cinematography.

The nominations for “Shōgun” ― which debuted in February after an arduous near-decade in development and production ― offer networks a strong signal that viewers are willing to entertain realms beyond the English-speaking world.

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place Sept. 15.

For a deep dive into all the snubs and surprises from the 76th Primetime Emmy announcements, take a look at HuffPost’s live blog.