Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada & More

“Shōgun” is officially in the drama race for the Primetime Emmys.

FX has confirmed that the once limited or anthology series heavyweight has been officially submitted and accepted in the drama categories, where it will compete against Netflix’s “The Crown,” Apple’s “The Morning Show” and Prime Video’s “Fallout.” In addition, the network has shared exclusively with Variety the complete list of 40 Emmy submissions, which includes six submissions for directing, four for writing, and two eligible guest actors. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” currently holds the record for most nominations in a single year with 32. Could FX break the monumental record?

Following the announcement that FX, Hulu, and the estate of James Clavell — who authored the novel — are working on developing more seasons of the critically acclaimed series, “Shōgun” is now officially eligible to compete in the drama races after being commissioned as limited. The move puts the show among the top contenders to garner the most nominations in this year’s Emmys race.

“Shōgun” follows a shipwrecked English sailor, played by Cosmo Jarvis, in the 17th century who becomes involved in a bloody power struggle at the highest levels of the Japanese government. Hiroyuki Sanada, who produces and stars as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, portrays a ruling Council of Regents member who must fight for survival when the political tides turn against him. The first season also starred Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura, Yuka Kouri and Fumi Nikaido.

This year, the limited series race is fiercely competitive, sparking widespread panic among networks and awards strategists regarding the few available slots. The vacating of “Shōgun” gives needed boosts to shows such as “Baby Reindeer” from Netflix, “Fellow Travelers” from Showtime, and its FX sibling series “Fargo.”

Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.

In the drama landscape, Jarvis and Sanada are poised for lead drama actor nominations, injecting fresh energy into a category that was begging for excitement, with pundits divided between Gary Oldman (“Slow Horses”) and Dominic West (“The Crown”), both of whom have never received nods for their roles. Sanada could make history, becoming the second Asian actor nominated after Lee Jung-Jae, who won for “Squid Game” in 2022.

Sawai, portraying the dutiful translator Toda Mariko, moves to the forefront in the lead drama actress category, contending against Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon (“The Morning Show”), Oscar laureate Emma Stone (“The Curse”), and Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”). Her remarkable performance, especially in episode nine, is the type of work that is hard to ignore.

The supporting actors Asano and Nikaido, in addition to their co-stars Hira, Nishioka, Hoshi and Kouri, should comfortably fit into their respective categories. However, the talented ensemble will now produce two more possible nominations for guest stars Néstor Carbonell and Yûko Miyamoto, which will likely beef up the potential nomination tally.

The full list of FX’s submissions is below. Nomination-round voting begins on June 13.