Best TV comedy category

Ally McBeal Frasier Friends Sex and the City Will and Grace

Mob drama The Sopranos has four nominations, while The West Wing, Sex and the City and Band of Brothers are among the shows with three.

Eric McCormack, who plays gay lawyer Will, won an Emmy for his role earlier this year and is also named in the best comedy actor category this time.

But he must beat Frasier's Kelsey Grammer, Spin City's Charlie Sheen, Frankie Muniz from Malcolm in the Middle and Tom Cavanagh, who stars in Ed.

Best TV drama category

24 Alias CSI: Crime Scene Investigation The Sopranos The West Wing

In the best comedy actress category, Debra Messing, who plays interior designer Grace, is up against big names including Sarah Jessica Parker from Sex and the City and Calista Flockhart, who plays Ally McBeal.

Several categories are dedicated to drama series, with The Sopranos and The West Wing continuing their dominance of the genre.

Both shows are named in the best TV drama category, alongside 24, Alias and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Kiefer Sutherland stars as a CIA agent in 24

The West Wing recently won four Emmy awards, including best drama, while The Sopranos picked up three.

Kiefer Sutherland, who made his names in films such as Flatliners and Young Guns, now stars as CIA agent Jack Bauer in 24, and is up for the best dramatic actor prize.

This is a heavyweight category that also features Martin Sheen and James Gandolfini.

The categories shared by TV movies and mini-series also feature strong competition, with Band of Brothers, Anne Frank and Life with Judy Garland all attracting three nominations.

Ben Kingsley: Played Anne Frank's father

In the category for best mini-series or TV movie actor, Oscar-winning Ben Kingsley, who played Anne Frank's father, faces Kenneth Branagh, for Conspiracy, and Damian Lewis, for Band of Brothers.

Kingsley also has a movie nomination for Sexy Beast.

The category for best mini-series or TV movie actress includes Bridget Fonda, for her role as a reporter whose foetus is a clone in TV feature No Ordinary Baby.

She is up against Emma Thompson, who plays a professor in another TV movie, Wit, and 15-year-old Hannah Taylor-Gordon for her portrayal of Anne Frank.