“Cosmo, you are the most honest and sincere actor I know, no bullshit. You made me give 120%.

“Thank you to my team and my family. Mom, I love you. You are the reason I am here, you showed me stoicism and that’s how I was able to play Mariko. This is for all the women who said nothing and continue to be an example for everyone.”

Anna had followed her co-star Hiroyuki Sanada onto the stage, who minutes earlier had won the award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, beating out competition from Idris Elba (Hijacking), Donald Glover (Mr. + Mrs. Smith), Walton Goggins (Fallout), Gary Oldman (Slow horses) and Dominic West (The Crown).

He said, “Thank you so much. Oh my gosh. I feel beyond honored to be here with these amazing nominees and thank you FX, Disney and Hulu for believing in me.

“Thank you my team for always supporting me and thank you to all the crew and cast of ShogunI am so proud of you. It was an East meets West dream project with respect.

“Shogun taught me that when people work together we can do miracles. We can create a better future together, thank you very much.”

Anna Sawai played Lady Toda Mariko in the Disney production based on the 1975 book by James Clavell, set in feudal Japan in the 1600s. Filming took 11 months and her performance was praised by critics.

Sawai has been acting, dancing and singing since she was a child.

She was born in New Zealand and lived in Wellington for a number of years as a child before her family moved abroad. She eventually returned to Japan and settled in Yokohama.

Sawai was a member of the J-pop band Faky for five years, but then quit to focus on acting.

For Shogun Sawai played in Godzilla spin-off Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, F9: The Fast Saga of the Fast and furious franchise starring fellow Kiwi Vinnie Bennet, and British thriller series Giri/Hadji.

Additional reporting by the Herald.