Raymond and Lost top shows at Emmys

EVERYBODY loved Raymond one more time at the Emmys as the show won the best comedy series for its final season, denying newcomer Desperate Housewives.

Another first-year hit, Lost, won best drama honours.

Felicity Huffman and Patricia Arquette became first-time Emmy winners as they won lead actress awards, while Tony Shalhoub and James Spader once again proved favourites in the best actor category.

"I've turned into one of those actresses and I'm sorry," Huffman, who plays an overwhelmed homemaker on ABC's

Desperate Housewives, said as she teared-up at the start of her acceptance speech.

She thanked "the women of Wisteria Lane", her co-stars Marcia Cross and Teri Hatcher also nominees in the category and Nicollette Sheridan and Eva Longoria.

Arquette, who plays a crime-solving psychic in NBC's Medium, won the best drama series actress award.

Shalhoub was named best actor in a comedy series for Monk.

Spader was named best dramatic actor for Boston Legal for his portrayal of a lawyer with an ethics problem his second consecutive win.

Other past Emmy favourites grabbed trophies at Sunday's ceremony, with Brad Garrett and Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond and William Shatner of Boston Legal receiving best supporting actor honours.

Garrett received his third Emmy for the CBS sitcom and Shatner received his second Emmy for the character of egotistical lawyer Denny Crane, who also had first been featured on The Practice.

Blythe Danner was named best supporting actress in a drama for Showtime's Huff.

Host Ellen DeGeneres paid brief tribute to the victims of Hurricane

Katrina. The magnolia on her lapel was for them; Presenters were also asked to wear the state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The ceremony did include a tribute to late- night king Johnny Carson, the Tonight show host who died this year.

For their supporting acting work in a miniseries or a movie, Paul Newman was honoured for Empire Falls and Jane Alexander for Warm Springs, both on HBO.

Hugh Jackman won best individual performance in a variety/music programme for his work as host of the 58th annual Tony Awards.

The directing and writing awards for a drama series were split between two new hit shows. Lost won the former, House took the latter.

Desperate Housewives won the comedy series directing award while the writing trophy went to Fox's Arrested Development. HBO's Warm Springs, which dramatised Franklin D Roosevelt's battle against polio before becoming president, was named best TV movie.