The 2025 awards season is officially underway, as theGolden Globes celebrated the very best in TV and Filmlast night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. FX’sShogunwon big on the night, taking home Best Drama Series. The acclaimed historical epic also won three awards for its leading actors, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, and the man whose performance stole the show,Hiroyuki Sanada.
Hiroyuki Sanada won theGolden Globefor Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series - Drama (that’s a lengthy title) for his outstanding performance as Lord Toranaga inShogun. The series pulls a classic bait and switch, as audiences expect Cosmo Jarvis' John Blackthorne to be the leading character, only for the enigmatic and calculated Toranaga to steal the show and steer the reins. Sanada already dominated the tail end of 2024’s awards ceremonies, when he took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 2024 Primetime Emmys. He has also been nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series at this year’s Critics' Choice Awards, which takes place on January 12.
In his acceptance speech, Hiroyuki Sanada thanked the Golden Globes for recognizing his performance among the outstanding nominees in the category.“Thank you, Golden Globes, for recognizing me. I’m so happy to be here with these great nominees,“Sanada said. After thanking FX, Hulu, and Disney, Hiroyuki Sanada closed out his speech with an inspiring message for young performers and creators. The actor said:
“For the young actors and creators in the world: please be yourself. Believe [in] yourself. And never give up. Good luck. Thank you!”
Hiroyuki Sanada Didn’t Know ‘Shogun’ Would Work
Shogunwas the smash-hit series of 2024(beforeThe Penguindominated the pop-culture landscape later in the year). Based on the novel by James Clavell,Shogunfollows pirate/navigator John Blackthorne, as he’s used as a pawn by the feuding Japanese lords after shipwrecking on the coast of Japan. FX’s adaptation still included Blackthorne’s major storyline, but also shone a much larger spotlight on the Japanese characters, like Toranaga, and Anna Sawai’s Toda Mariko.
The Golden Globes' Biggest Film and TV Winners are Both Streaming Now
The two biggest winners of the night are available to watch on streaming.
After receiving the award, Hiroyuki Sanada was shepherded away to the press area, where he spoke to the officialGolden Globesreporter about the win. During the interview, Hiroyuki Sanada revealed he never imagined a series likeShogunhappening, let alone winning so many awards.“We couldn’t have imagined these kind of things happening when we shot a few years ago,“the actor said.“It was a kind of gamble. 70% Japanese dialogue, with subtitles. Can they enjoy [it], or not? But, after we released the first two episodes, we got a great reaction from audiences and critics as well.”
Hiroyuki Sanada is getting ready to don his samurai armor once again asShogunhas been renewed for two more seasons at FX.The new seasons will move past Clavell’s novel, telling an original story with the surviving characters, including Sanada’s Lord Toranaga. No official release date has been unveiled forShogunSeason 2 yet.
