The West Wing and The Sopranos have both won a clutch of honours at this year's Emmy TV awards.

Sunday night's ceremony in Los Angeles saw NBC's The West Wing, which follows the fortunes of an imaginary US president, walk away with the first three awards announced.

Ellen deGeneres brought some humour to the event

The 2001 Emmys had been twice-postponed in the wake of the 11 September attacks on the US and were finally held at the Shubert Theatre amid tight security.

The ceremony was more low-key than in recent years, with men dressed in business suits and guards searching the cars of arriving celebrities, while police lined the red carpet.

But host Ellen DeGeneres - dressed in black with a red, white and blue ribbon - lightened the mood when she asked the audience: "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?"

The evening opened with a rendition of America The Beautiful and an address by veteran US newsman Walter Cronkite.

West Wing won four awards - for best overall drama series, drama series direction, supporting actress (Allison Janney) and supporting actor (Bradley Whitford).

Edie Falco won for best drama actress

Meanwhile, The Sopranos, which which follows the fortune of Mafia families in the US, won three gongs.

The series won Emmys for best-written drama series, and best actor and actress, for the work of James Gandolfini and Edie Falco.

Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond won a second consecutive Emmy as best comedy actress - and dedicated her performances to men and women serving in the US armed forces.

Tribute

Eric McCormack of was named best lead comedy actor for Will & Grace.

British actors were also honoured - Kenneth Branagh won the lead acting award for a mini-series for his work on Conspiracy, and Sir Derek Jacobi won an award for his guest role in Frasier.

Conspiracy is co-produced by HBO and BBC Films. The series recreates the Nazi gathering in 1942 to discuss the plans that led to the slaughter of millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

Its writer Loring Mandel also won the award for best writing on a mini-series or movie.

The Emmys' audience heard a tribute to Frasier creator David Angell, who was on board one of the hijacked planes flown into the World Trade Centre.

Emmy organiser Bryce Zabel, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards, told the 2,000 guests that millions of people were watching the event around the world on TV.

He said that Hollywood had "stood up to fear, stood up to hate, and celebrated the American spirit".

Security

The ceremony closed with Barbra Streisand singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Tight security meant that stars had to walk through metal detectors tonight before entering the hall.

Ally McBeal actress Calista Flockhart and Friends star Jennifer Aniston were among a number of big names kept waiting for up to an hour by the extra security measures.

The FBI also closed the airspace above the theatre because of fears of a repeat of the 11 September attacks.