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‘Bury My Heart,’ ‘Sopranos’ top Emmy nods

The Sopranos’ swan song on HBO earned the acclaimed drama 15 Emmy nominations Thursday, more than any other series, while the pay-cable network’s movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” nabbed 17 nominations, topping all categories.

HBO again dominated the vote totals with 86, but ABC had a very strong showing with 70, followed closely by NBC’s 69. CBS, often overlooked by Emmy voters, had 44. In contrast to last year, when no new series was nominated in major categories and many honors went to canceled shows, returning freshmen left their mark this time.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences voters honored newcomer “Heroes” as a best-drama contender, while giving ABC’s “Boston Legal” its first shot at that honor, joining a list that also includes “House,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Sopranos.” (Last year’s top drama “24” didn’t make the cut after what was widely considered a subpar season).

Comedy contenders were first-timers “Entourage,” “Ugly Betty” and “30 Rock,” joining last year’s winner “The Office” and “Two and a Half Men.”

In acting categories, “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini earned his sixth drama nomination, joining returnees Kiefer Sutherland of “24” (last year’s winner), “Legal’s” James Spader, “Rescue Me’s” Denis Leary and “House’s” Hugh Laurie.

Actress Minnie Driver got her first Emmy nomination for her role as a con-woman traveler on FX’s freshman series “The Riches,” joining Mariska Hargitay, last year’s winner for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Closer’s” Kyra Sedgwick, “Sopranos’ “ Edie Falco, “Medium’s” Patricia Arquette and Sally Field, a seven-time nominee with her first for ABC’s new “Brothers & Sisters.”

America Ferrera got her first nomination for the title role on ABC hour-long comedy “Ugly Betty,” while former “Saturday Night Live” writer Tina Fey earned her first acting stripes for “30 Rock,” alongside Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”), Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”) and 2006 winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”). Parker also was nominated in the movie and miniseries category for Oxygen’s “The Robber Bride”).

Comedy actor nods went to “Rock’s” Alec Baldwin, “The Office’s” Steve Carell, three-time winner Tony Shalhoub of “Monk,” “Men’s” Charlie Sheen and Ricky Gervais of HBO’s “Extras.”

Just three miniseries are vying for awards — AMC’s Western “Broken Trail” (which nabbed 16 nominations), PBS’ “Prime Suspect: The Final Act;” and USA’s just-concluded “The Starter Wife,” which premiered on May 31, the last date for Emmy eligibility.

Made-for-TV movie contenders include “Bury My Heart,” about Native Americans, Discovery Channel’s “Inside the Twin Towers,” HBO’s “Longford,” TNT’s “The Ron Clark Story” and Lifetime’s “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy.” HBO, which typically dominates these categories, was nominated just once this time around.