‘Shōgun’ Dominates Award Season: Hiroyuki Sanada Celebrates 2025 SAG Win

Shōgun won the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series prize at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards, making it a memorable evening.  ‘Bridgerton’, ‘The Day of the Jackal’, ‘The Diplomat’, and ‘Slow Horses’ were among the formidable competitors defeated by the FX series, which is set in feudal Japan in the 1600s.

 Hiroyuki Sanada thanked the cast for the accolade as they took the stage to accept the prize, saying it was particularly significant because it came from fellow actors.  He described the process of creating ‘Shōgun’ as an amazing journey and commended the series’ team for their commitment to cultural authenticity and faith in the idea.

Image Courtesy: Getty Images 

Sanada pointed out that the show was mostly in Japanese and had subtitles, underscoring the risks associated with producing it.  He highlighted how ‘Shōgun’ and its SAG Award triumph demonstrate that acting crosses language barriers and praised the filmmakers for their bravery in taking that risk.

 His co-stars Tommy Bastow, Anna Sawai, Hiroto Kanai, Ringo Sheena, Shinnosuke Abe, and Tadanobu Asano accompanied him onstage to accept the award.

 In addition to being the series’ star, Sanada was also a producer.  As he previously revealed, the creative team is free to expand the plot beyond its original source material, which is James Clavell’s 1975 novel, by fusing historical details with innovative narrative techniques to create something distinctive for upcoming seasons.

–Farheen Ali