The US television industry paid a final Emmy tribute on Sunday to The Sopranoswith the prestigious award for best drama in a night otherwise filled with upsets.
The Sopranosmade Emmy history as the first American series to win the award as best drama for its swan-song season. The show, widely praised by critics as the greatest drama in US TV history, won the same award in 2004.
"This amazing cast is really what it comes down to. It really is all about them," series creator and executive producer David Chase said from the stage after the show clinched awards for best directing and writing in a drama.
But The Sopranoswas upstaged in all four of the acting categories for which it was nominated.
One of the biggest upsets came as James Spader of ABC courtroom series Boston Legalwas named best actor in a drama series over James Gandolfini, the sentimental favourite to claim a fourth prize for his role as conflicted mob boss Tony Soprano.
Edie Falco, who had won three Emmys for her Sopranosrole as Tony's long-suffering wife, lost out this year to Sally Field.
The televised ceremony took an emotionally charged political turn when Field took the stage for her surprise Emmy win as best actress in a drama in ABC's Brothers & Sisters, playing a mother whose son ships off to serve in the Iraq war.
"I'm proud to be one of those women, and let's face it, if mothers ruled the world, there would be no goddamned wars in the first place," Field said to applause in a comment partially bleeped from the live Fox network telecast.
Britain's Ricky Gervais was a surprise winner for best actor in a comedy for his role as a 40-something actor who gives up his day job to pursue movie stardom in HBO's Extras.
In one of the biggest Emmy snubs, the Fox talent search American Idol, the most-watched show on US television, lost out for a fifth straight year to the CBS hit Amazing Racein the contest for best competitive reality show.