LOS ANGELES — Everybody loved Raymond one more time, honouring the show Sunday as best comedy series for its final season. That denied the prize to newcomer Desperate Housewives while giving best drama honours to another first-year hit, Lost.

"All year long they've been asking us, `Do you think, now that your show is going, is this the end of the sitcom?''' said Everybody Loves Raymond executive producer Phil Rosenthal. "I want to say, yes. Beyond that, it's the end of laughing and the end of smiling.''

Felicity Huffman and Patricia Arquette became first-time Emmy winners as they received lead actress honours 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 Eva Longoria.

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

"I want to thank you for this honour, for putting me in this incredible company,'' she said. She offered her "respect and gratitude'' to volunteers helping Hurricane Katrina victims and issued a prayer that soldiers in Iraq "come home safe and sound.''

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

"I just want to say there's always next year, except for Ray Romano,'' Shalhoub said jokingly of his fellow nominees.

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

"I'd like to thank the academy and I'd like to thank my mother and I'd like to thank my mother again, because I forgot to thank her last year,'' he said.

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, which also had first been featured on The Practice.

"Oh, my gosh. ... Thank you so much,'' said Garrett, adding facetiously: "I have to dedicate this to Britney (Spears) and our baby. This is amazing.''

Roberts appeared on stage with two grandsons at her side.

"This is the icing on the cake,'' she said, accepting her fourth trophy for her role as a meddling mother-in-law. "Nine wonderful years on Everybody Loves Raymond and to finish it off with this is wonderful.''

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

"I think my husband Bruce Paltrow is up there, stirring this up for me,'' Danner said, making a sentimental reference to her late husband, a director, then turned to two pressing national issues.

Danner said Paltrow (their children include actress Gwyneth Paltrow) would want her to pay tribute to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and she issued a plea for the return of troops from Iraq.

Host Ellen DeGeneres paid brief tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The magnolia on her lapel was for them; presenters also were asked to wear the state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi. And Jon Stewart, a winner and a presenter, did a comedic bit that blasted the federal response to Katrina. But for the most part, the tragedy that had drawn Americans to their TV sets received scant attention as the ceremony's focus remained mainly on the awards.

The ceremony did include a tribute to late-night king Johnny Carson, the Tonight show host who died this year, with David Letterman remembering the man who entertained America and was mentor to so many comedians.

The ceremony also honoured network TV's veteran news anchors, the retired Dan Rather of CBS and Tom Brokaw of NBC and the late Peter Jennings of ABC. Rather and Brokaw drew a prolonged standing ovation when they took the stage. 

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 was honoured as best individual performance in a variety or music program for his work as host of the 58th annual Tony Awards.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart repeated as best variety, music or comedy series and again won for writing.

The Amazing Race was named outstanding reality-competition program for the third time.

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

Geoffrey Rush was honoured as best actor in a miniseries or movie for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO's dramatic take on the comic actor which also claimed writing and directing awards.

S. Epatha Merkerson was named best actress in a miniseries or movie for Lackawanna Blues, on HBO, and proceeded to charm the audience by announcing her acceptance speech, which she'd tucked into her bosom, had slipped down and couldn't be retrieved.

Desperate Housewives won the comedy series directing award while the writing trophy went to Fox's Arrested Development.

HBO's Warm Springs, which dramatized Franklin D. Roosevelt's battle against polio before becoming president, was named best TV movie. The best miniseries trophy went to PBS' The Lost Prince.

Earth, Wind & Fire kicked off the show at the Shrine Auditorium with a revamped version of its song September, paying tribute to the TV season past. The Black Eyed Peas jumped in with a few rap verses, including a Martha Stewart lyric: "Went to jail, got a show, that's the way entertainment goes.''

Complete list of winners at Sunday's 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

Drama Series: Lost, ABC.

Comedy Series: Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS.

Miniseries: The Lost Prince (Masterpiece Theatre), PBS.

Variety, Music or Comedy Series: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central.

Made-for-TV Movie: Warm Springs, HBO.

Reality-Competition Program: The Amazing Race, CBS.

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, Boston Legal, ABC.

Actor, Comedy Series: Tony Shalhoub, Monk, USA.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Actress, Drama Series: Patricia Arquette, Medium, NBC.

Actress, Comedy Series: Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives, ABC.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: S. Epatha Merkerson, Lackawanna Blues, HBO.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: William Shatner, Boston Legal, ABC.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Newman, Empire Falls, HBO.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Blythe Danner, Huff, Showtime.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Jane Alexander, Warm Springs, HBO.

Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: Hugh Jackman, The 58th Annual Tony Awards (2004), CBS.

Directing for a Drama Series: Lost: Pilot (Part 1 & Part 2), ABC.

Directing for a Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives: Pilot, ABC.

Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad -- Opening Ceremony, NBC.

Writing for a Drama Series: House: Three Stories, Fox.

Writing for a Comedy Series: Arrested Development: The Righteous Brothers, Fox.

Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central.

Winners in the creative arts categories of the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented Sept. 11 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour): South Park: Best Friends Forever, Comedy Central.

Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More): Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2 (Chapters 21-25), Cartoon Network.

Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series: George Lopez: Leave it to Lopez/The Simple Life/Trouble in Paradise, ABC.

Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series: Deadwood: Requiem for a Gleet/Complications/Childish Things, HBO.

Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie (area award: more than one winner possible): The Lost Prince (Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, and Warm Springs, HBO.

Art Direction for a Variety, Music Program or Special: The 47th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS.

Casting for a Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives, ABC.

Casting for a Drama Series: Lost, ABC.

Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: Lackawanna Blues, HBO.

Choreography: Smucker's Stars on Ice 2005, A&E.

Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series: Will & Grace: Friends With Benefits, NBC.

Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series: Deadwood: Complications (formerly Difficulties), HBO.

Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera): Death in Gaza, HBO.

Commercial: Surprise Dinner, Ameriquest Mortgage.

Costumes for a Series: Deadwood: Boy the Earth Talks To, HBO.

Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Lost Prince (Masterpiece Theatre): Episode One, PBS.

Directing for Nonfiction Programming: Death in Gaza, HBO.

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series: Lost: Pilot (Part 1 & Part 2), ABC.

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives: Pilot, ABC.

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series: Scrubs: My Life in Four Cameras, NBC.

Picture Editing for a Special (Single or Multi-Camera): Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival (Great Performances), PBS.

Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera): The Amazing Race: We're Moving Up the Food Chain, CBS.

Governor's Award: Jerry Lewis.

Hairstyling for a Series: Deadwood: Boy the Earth Talks To, HBO.

Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-Camera) for VMC Programming: The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad -- Opening Ceremony, NBC.

Main Title Design: Huff, Showtime.

Makeup for a Series (Non-Prosthetic): Deadwood: A Lie Agreed Upon, Part I, HBO.

Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic): Frankenstein, Hallmark.

Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore): Lost, ABC.

Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore): Warm Springs, HBO.

Music Direction: A Christmas Carol, NBC.

Music and Lyrics: Reefer Madness, Song Title: Mary Jane/Mary Lane, Showtime.

Main Title Theme Music: Desperate Housewives, ABC.

Variety, Music or Comedy Special: 58th Annual Tony Awards (2004), CBS.

Special Class Program: Stephen Sondheim's `Passion' (Live From Lincoln Center), PBS.

Children's Program (area award: more than one winner possible): Classical Baby, HBO, and Nick News With Linda Ellerbee: Never Again? From the Holocaust to the Sudan, Nickelodeon.

Nonfiction Special: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, PBS.

Nonfiction Series: Broadway: The American Musical, PBS.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Bobby Cannavale, Will & Grace.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Ray Liotta, ER.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Amanda Plummer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Reality Program: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC.

Writing for Nonfiction Programming: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, PBS.

Sound Editing for a Series: 24: 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, Fox.

Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera): Pompeii: The Last Day, Discovery Channel.

Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series: 24: 6:00 AM-7:00 AM, Fox.

Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie: Warm Springs, HBO.

Multi-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series or Special: Two and a Half Men: Can You Eat Human Flesh With Wooden Teeth? CBS.

Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special or Animation: Genius: A Night for Ray Charles, CBS.

Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera): Broadway: The American Musical `Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'!' PBS.

Special Visual Effects for a Series: Lost: Pilot (Part 1 & Part 2), ABC.

Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO.

Stunt Coordination: 24: 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, Fox.

Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Series: Late Show With David Letterman: 2269, CBS.

Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad -- Opening Ceremony, NBC.

Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking: Death in Gaza, HBO.

Previously announced awards also given Sunday:

Costumes for a Variety or Music Program: MADtv: Episode 1017, Fox.

Engineering Award: USAnimation Opus, Toon Boom Animation Inc.

Voice-Over Performance: Keith David, narrator, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, PBS.

Individual Achievement in Animation (juried award: more than one winner possible): Classical Baby: Bear Hugs, HBO; The Fairly Odd Parents: Shelf Life, Nickelodeon; Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: House of Bloos, Cartoon Network (two awards); Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: World Wide Wabbit, Cartoon Network; The Powerpuff Girls: West in Pieces, Cartoon Network; Samurai Jack: Episode 49, Cartoon Network; Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2: Chapters 21-25, Cartoon Network.