Sopranos leads Emmy nominations

TV mob show The Sopranos is leading the list Emmy award nominees with 20 nods, including one for Best Drama.

The HBO hit has previously been overshadowed by NBC's The West Wing at America's leading TV awards ceremony, and this year, the two will again do battle for the drama prize - along with Fox espionage thriller 24 and CBS show CSI: Crime Scene investigation.

HBO's popular but now-defunct series Sex and the City is the most nominated sitcom, gaining recognition in 11 categories, including the race for best comedy series.

Completing the nominees for best comedy were Arrested Devlopment, Will and Grace, Curb Your Enthusiasm and last year's winner, Everybody Loves Raymond.

However, while The Sopranos bagged the most nominations of any series, TV mini-series Angels in America, starring Emma Thompson and Al Pacino, leads the Emmy awards race with 21 nominations.

Thompson and Pacino are also nominated for Best Actress and Actor for their roles in the drama.

The 56th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on September 19.