The Emmys are just around the corner, with the Primetime ceremony taking place on Sunday, September 15! This year, Asian and Asian American talent have left their mark across the entertainment landscape, from moving documentaries like Free Chol Soo Lee to hit primetime shows such as Shogun.
To get you ready for the ceremonies, we’ve rounded up some standout nominations featuring Asian and Asian American talent across the Documentary, Primetime, and Regional Emmys. Here’s a look at some of the must-know nominees before the awards are announced later this month.
DOCUMENTARY EMMYS (Airing Sept. 26)
Free Chol Soo Lee
Nominations: Best Documentary, Outstanding Historical Documentary, Outstanding Promotional Announcement
Directed by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, Free Chol Soo Lee stands out among this year’s nominees for Outstanding Historical Documentary. A CAAM-funded film and the Opening Night feature at CAAMFest 2022, this powerful documentary tells the story of Chol Soo Lee, a Korean American wrongfully convicted of a 1973 murder in San Francisco. Through an artful blend of archival footage and interviews, the film explores his upbringing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, his harrowing experiences in one of California’s most violent prisons, and the relentless efforts of the pan-Asian movement that fought for his freedom.
However, Free Chol Soo Lee doesn’t stop with his exoneration. It also serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the systemic failures of the justice system and the lasting effects they had on Lee’s life after his release.
If you haven’t yet seen this critical film in Asian American history, now is the perfect time. Free Chol Soo Lee will be streaming for free on the PBS app from September 16 through November 14. The Documentary Emmy ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. EDT and can be streamed at watch.theemmys.tv.
PRIMETIME EMMYS (Airing Sept. 15)
Shogun
Nominations: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Going into the Primetime Emmys, the show on everyone’s minds is FX Productions’ Japanese period drama Shogun, which is nominated for a whopping 25 awards. While winners have yet to be announced, the show has already made history. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Shogun scored the most nominations of any series in 2024 and becoming the second non-English-language show ever to be recognized in the best drama category (the first being the global phenomenon that was Squid Game).
Based on a 1975 novel by James Clavell, Shogun takes place in Feudal Japan during a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is desperately battling against his enemies on the Council of Regents when a mysterious European ship gets washed up in a neighboring fishing village, bringing their worlds together.
The show has been critically heralded for its exceptional writing, cast, direction and faithfulness to its source material. Among the challenges this production has taken on: adapting a novel that has been criticized as a “white savior trope” and giving more room to the perspectives of the Japanese characters. Among the nominees are Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira for their acting performances, and Rachel Kondo who was nominated for her very first Emmy for her writing on two episodes of the show.
Shogun is the one to watch this season – both on screen and during the ceremony, where it’s poised to rack up the accolades.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Maya Erskine)
Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Maya Erskine is nominated for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” for her role in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a spy drama available to watch on Amazon Prime. Erskine, who is Japanese American, plays “Jane Smith,” a secret agent working alongside fellow spy “John Smith” (Donald Glover). While they take on dangerous missions, the show’s twist is its focus on the ups and downs of their relationship and marriage, offering a fresh take on the 2005 movie of the same name.
Saturday Night Live (Bowen Yang)
Nominations: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
This year, Bowen Yang is once again nominated for his work on Saturday Night Live after receiving nominations for the same category in both 2021 and 2022. Upon joining the on-air cast in 2019, Yang became the show’s first-ever Chinese American cast member and has quickly become an SNL fan favorite. He’s been featured in hilarious sketches like his collab with Simu Liu congratulating each other on being the first Asians in various categories and his iconic performance as the iceberg in “The Iceberg on the Sinking of the Titanic.”
Reservation Dogs (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Ta)
Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor
Marking his first Emmy nod in the category, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Ta scored a nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor” for his portrayal of Bear Smallhill in the comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs. Woon-A-Ta, an Indigenous Canadian actor with Chinese and Guyanese heritage, is part of a majority Indigenous North American cast. The FX on Hulu show follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma.
REGIONAL EMMYS (Announced Sept. 21)
Angel Dose
Nominations: Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy “Public Affairs Program”
One notable film nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy is Angel Dose, a 24-minute short documentary that played at CAAMFest 2023. Directed by Sami Khan, the intimate film centers on a Muslim-American nurse named Tarik, who decides to run for political office in hopes to make real changes against the systemic biases in healthcare. The film is the second in Khan’s planned trilogy of short films that follow inspiring and unconventional political leaders.
Madeleine Fernando is a second-generation Asian American writer based out of New York City. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she is currently a public relations specialist and freelance writer.
