'Sopranos' keep a stranglehold on Emmy awards

The long-running Mob drama The Sopranos picked up 15 nominations for this year's Emmy awards yesterday, along with a strong field of British talent now jostling for the prizes.

The Sopranos star James Gandolfini looked set to go out with a bang as he was nominated alongside "wife" Edie Falco, for best actor and actress. The series - which has just concluded for the sixth and last time in the US - is up for several other major awards including best drama series and best use of cinematography. If it wins best drama it will be the first example of a victory while a show has been off the air.

The nominations for the 59th Emmys were announced at a press conference in Hollywood by the American actors Jon Cryer and Kyra Sedgwick.

British actors fared better than usual, with best actor and actress nominations going to Hugh Laurie for his role as a downbeat doctor in House, Dame Helen Mirren for Prime Suspect, Jim Broadbent for Longford and Ricky Gervais in Extras.

Other contenders competing with The Sopranos for the drama award include Heroes and Grey's Anatomy. But it was a bad day for the hit real-time drama 24.

While Keifer Sutherland is up again for best actor for his role as troubled special agent Jack Bauer, the sixth season of the increasingly populist drama has not gone down as well as its predecessors and, for the first time in years was not nominated for best drama. Lost finally lived up to its name and was left off the best drama list, after observers criticised its failure to keep up its original form.

Prime Suspect: The Final Act, House and Extras all bagged four nominations each, while the surprise nominee appeared to be Longford - a one-off drama on Lord Longford's visits to the child killer Myra Hindley. It picked up five nominations, including outstanding made for television movie and outstanding lead actor.

Dame Helen, star of feature film The Queen, has gone down well in America, and last year won an acting prize at last year's Emmy's for her role in the Channel 4 mini-series Elizabeth I. Industry insiders predicted that with Prime Suspect she represented Britain's best hope for awards this year.

Last night, Dame Helen said: "I'm incredibly pleased. This is very gratifying because it is the last season. I'm very happy for the whole history of the programme."

The debut of the new hit show Ugly Betty, meanwhile, has been well received, winning 11 nominations in total including best comedy, along with the US version of The Office, which won last year. Ugly Betty's star, America Ferrara, who plays awkward personal assistant Betty Suarez, is nominated for best comedy actress, along with Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives.

Tom O'Neil, who has the distinction of having written the definitive biography of the Emmys, said Ugly Betty's success was part of a trend towards new talent. "The real good news... is about half of the contenders in these main categories are newcomers," he said.

The Emmys were first presented in January 1949. The awards are traditionally aired on the Sunday before the official start of the keenly anticipated autumn television season in America.

This years primetime awards ceremony will be broadcast on 16 September from Los Angeles. The "technical" awards are held a week earlier.

The British nominees

House

Hugh Laurie's drama series also picks up four nods, including Outstanding Drama Series and Best Actor

Longford

Picked up five nominations, including Outstanding Made For Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor In A Mini-series Or A Movie for Jim Broadbent and Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Mini-series for Samantha Morton

Prime Suspect: The Final Act

Received four nominations, including one for Helen Mirren as Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie and Outstanding Miniseries for the programme itself.

Extras

Nominated in four categories, including outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for Ricky Gervais