It’s not everyday that you attend your first Golden Globes red carpet—and win an award on the same night. But that’s exactly how the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony played out for Anna Sawai, who scooped the award for Best Actress in a TV drama for her performance in Shōgun. Sawai is the second Japanese actress to ever be honoured with the title: in 1981, Yoko Shimada became the first Asian actress to win a Golden Globe award for Best Actress for role in the miniseries, Shogun.
Sawai, who plays Toda Mariko in FX’s hit historical drama series, beat out the other nominees for the award this year, including Kathy Bates, Keira Knightley and Emma D’Arcy. On stage, Sawai kept her victory speech short and sweet, saying “Thank you to the voters for voting for me, even though I would vote for Kathy Bates any day.”
Even before taking to the stage, Sawai was already making her mark at the awards ceremony. The 32-year-old star arrived to the red carpet in a white Dior column gown, which was specially created by the French fashion house for Sawai’s Golden Globes debut. The gown comprises an off-shoulder leather bustier top with a peplum as well as a long silk skirt, creating a simple yet striking silhouette. The stylish ensemble reportedly took Dior 450 hours to create—a reminder that simplicity is not easy to achieve.
With her hair elegantly swept back into a bun, Sawai completed her minimalist red carpet look with a choker from Cartier. (If you recall, she became an ambassador for the jewellery brand last year, shortly after making history at the 2024 Emmy Awards for becoming the first Asian star to win the Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series.)
Sawai standing out on the red carpet is no mean feat, considering all the celebrities who brought their sartorial A-Game to the Golden Globes this year. There was Zendaya, who made a glowing appearance in an orange Louis Vuitton ballgown; Wicked star Ariana Grande, who looked ethereal in vintage Givenchy; and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who had a dramatic entrance in her black Balenciaga gown. And we can’t ignore the presence of veteran Hollywood A-listers—with years of stunning on the red carpet under their belts—like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Demi Moore.
Still, Sawai made an impression. Since 2024, the Japanese actress has been finding her footing in the red carpet game with the help of celebrity stylist Karla Welch, who has worked with Olivia Wilde, Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross.
“As we started to work together more, I feel like now I know what I look good in and what I feel comfortable in,” shared Sawai in an interview with WWD. “Karla also knows how I feel when I’m wearing certain things. And it’s so easy now, because everything that I try on is great. I’m also now able to experiment a little bit more. I’m happy to challenge myself if I know that I’m going to feel good in it.”
So far, Sawai’s winning red carpet streak has reflected her adventurous approach: some of her best outfits last year include a black Louis Vuitton ensemble with a voluminous bubble skirt, a Prada column gown covered in metal grommets, and a bright red Vera Wang mermaid gown, which she wore for her historic Emmys win.
The looks also reflect Sawai’s preference for structured styles that suit her petite figure. As the Japanese actress told WWD, “Because I’m so small, I think there needs to be some sort of shape to have people pay attention to me.”
The world will certainly be paying attention to her now.
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