Michael Tran / AFP
"Shogun" is tipped to become the first-ever non-English-language winner of the Emmy for best drama, the most prestigious prize at the small-screen equivalent of the Oscars, at a glitzy ceremony on Sunday.
The epic series about feuding dynasties in the intricate and deadly royal courts of 17th-century Japan is expected to make history with wins for its cast, including veteran leading man Hiroyuki Sanada, at the gala in downtown Los Angeles.
"Shogun" hit the ground running at the Creative Arts Emmys this past weekend, notching a record-breaking 14 wins in technical and smaller categories, which are handed out ahead of the gala.
Sunday's other big winners could include "The Bear," a dark comedy set in the Chicago restaurant scene that returned for an experimental second season, and Netflix's controversial limited series "Baby Reindeer."
Father-and-son acting duo Eugene and Daniel Levy will host the ceremony, from 5:00 pm (0400 GMT Monday).
Here are four things to look out for:
Based on James Clavell's historical fiction novel, "Shogun" led the nominations with 25 overall.
Though produced by Disney-owned FX, and shot in Canada, it features a Japanese cast and subtitled dialogue, making it only the second non-English-language show to earn a best drama nomination, after South Korea's "Squid Game" two years ago.
In addition to the night's biggest prize, for best drama series, wins are predicted for stars Sanada and Anna Sawai. Supporting actor Tadanobu Asano could ride the "Shogun" wave to victory for his villainous turn as the brutal Kashigi Yabushige.
With its wins in the minor categories, "Shogun" has already eclipsed the previous record of 12 set by "Game of Thrones" for the number of Emmys for a drama in a single season. It is nearly certain to tack on a few more on Sunday.
Its biggest rival this year is former drama winner "The Crown." The final season of Netflix's British royal saga drew a lukewarm response from critics, but Elizabeth Debicki is tipped for best supporting actress as princess Diana.
Unusually, the 76th Emmy Awards will be the second Emmys gala held this year after the previous edition was shunted to January due to last summer's Hollywood strikes.
That months-long walkout by actors and writers also crimped the pipeline of new shows that could be released in time for this edition, meaning submissions dropped by a third year-on-year.
With several bigger series skipping this year -- and others such as "Succession" having ended their runs -- could this be an opportunity for new titles like "Fallout" and "Mr and Mrs Smith" to shine?
Potentially. But even "Shogun" is a remake of sorts. A previous miniseries based on the same novel, which aired way back in 1980, won three Emmys.
Check out all the nominees here.
© Agence France-Presse
