Golden Globes 2025: Will Hiroyuki Sanada Win Best Actor – TV Drama for Shogun?

The historical drama series Shogun has been a critical and commercial smash hit since its release in early 2024. Starring veteran Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Toranaga, Shogun tells the tale of feudal Japan in 1600, on the eve of the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. Sanada plays a military commander while Sawai is an interpreter to a British navigator.

With its lavish production values and stellar performances, the show swept the 2024 Emmy Awards, winning four trophies including one for best drama and another for lead actor, Sanada. It later picked up a further 14 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, which is the most overall that any series has ever won in one year.

Now, with the 2025 Golden Globes approaching, all eyes are on whether star Hiroyuki Sanada can pick up the award for Best Actor – TV Drama for his role.

Shogun’s Emmy Dominance in 2024

Sanada made history as the first Japanese actor to win a Lead Actor Emmy. In his acceptance speech, he spoke about the show’s “East meets West” ethos and expressed hope that Shogun’s success would inspire future generations of Asian talent. Meanwhile, Anna Sawai dedicated her Lead Actress prize to “all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone.”

Globe Nominations for Shogun Stars

Riding high off its Emmy wins, Shogun garnered four 2025 Golden Globe nominations: Best TV Drama, Best Actor (Sanada), Best Actress (Sawai), and Best Supporting Actor (Tadanobu Asano). These nominations mark the first time Japanese actors have been recognized in the Golden Globes’ lead acting categories.

Could Hiroyuki Sanada win best actor in the 2025 Golden Globes? 22bet21.com is offering odds of 1.1 or 66.70% that he will!

What Are Sanada’s Chances?

At 64 years old, Sanada is the most senior nominee in the Best Actor – TV Drama category at the 2025 Globes. He stands out from his fellow nominees as the only one representing a non-English language series. Sanada’s moving performance as the cunning Lord Toranaga, entirely in Japanese, has drawn widespread praise from critics and fans. Given the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s penchant for recognizing foreign talent, Sanada seems poised to repeat his Emmy success with a Globe victory as well.

However, his toughest competition may come from Eddie Redmayne in Day of the Jackal, who gives a mesmerizing performance, and also Gary Oldman, who shines in the spy drama, Slow Horses.

When the Golden Globes air on January 5th, Hiroyuki Sanada is the predicted winner for Best Actor – TV Drama. His profound performance in Shogun has moved viewers worldwide, bringing this story set in feudal Japan to a global mainstream audience. Sanada’s victory would recognize his pioneering status as the first Japanese actor to headline an American series, paving the way for more Asian representation in Hollywood. Regardless of who wins, the 2025 Golden Globe nominees prove that foreign-language performances can captivate critics and audiences just as powerfully as those in English.