Gone but not forgotten by voters, “The Sopranos” claimed its final Emmy as best dramatic series. Winners in other top categories were scattered across the prime time landscape like the bodies of the show’s fallen characters across New Jersey.

A stunned James Spader felt like he just “stole a pile of money from the mob” in winning best drama series actor as a devilish lawyer on “Boston Legal” at Sunday night’s ceremony. And Sally Field was her flustered self as winner of best actress in a drama for her matriarchal role in “Brothers & Sisters.”

Spader rubbed out three-time winner James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos” and last year’s upset victor, Kiefer Sutherland of “24.”
Field, fondly remembered for her years-ago TV stints as “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun,” bumped off Edie Falco of “The Sopranos.”
“Surely this belongs to all the mothers of the world,” Field said in a rambling acceptance speech that wound up with a swear word that had to be bleeped by Fox censors.

Field’s speech recalled her much-parodied 1985 acceptance of the best-actress Oscar for “Places in the Heart,” in which she said the famous line: “I can’t deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you really like me. Presenter Ray Romano also got attention from the evening’s word police.

Fox blacked out the show for a few seconds when Romano used a strong word in a joke about his former “Everybody Loves Raymond” wife, Patricia Heaton, sleeping with her new “Back to You” co-star Kelsey Grammer.

Supporting dramatic actress winner Katherine Heigl of “Grey’s Anatomy” mouthed another expletive, which Fox unsuccessfully tried to evade by switching camera angles.

“30 Rock” took top comedy series honors for its behind-the-scenes look at the craziness of a late-night sketch show.
Tina Fey, the show’s star and creator, acknowledged the show’s low ratings in its freshman year by thanking its “dozens and dozens of viewers.”

Ricky Gervais of “Extras” beat out Steve Carell of “The Office” for lead comedy series actor. Gervais originated the buffoonish boss role that Carell fills on the American version of the British sitcom.

The biggest laugh of the night was earned by presenters Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, after they announced that Gervais won.

“Ricky Gervais could not be here tonight. Instead we’re going to give this to our friend, Steve Carell,” Stewart said. Carell bounded on stage, sharing a group hug with Stewart and Colbert.

America Ferrera, TV’s breakout star as the dumpy fashion magazine assistant on “Ugly Betty,” was the lone acting front-runner to win. She added an Emmy as leading comedic actress to her Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild victories this year.

“This is such an amazing, wonderful achievement,” Ferrera said. “The award is to be able to get up and go to work tomorrow.”
Regarded as one of television’s best-ever series, “The Sopranos” aired its final show this past June, leaving many viewers grumbling about its enigmatic, cut-to-black ending.

Yet the show got some final respect Sunday night with two standing ovations — first, when the cast was introduced, and again when the series received the night’s top honor.

“In essence, this is a story about a gangster,” show creator David Chase said. “And gangsters are out there taking their kids to college, and taking their kids to school, and putting food on their table.

“And, hell, let’s face it, if the world and this nation was run by gangsters” — Chase paused and shrugged, as the audience laughed — “maybe it is.”

Rookie host Ryan Seacrest of “American Idol” was seen sparingly after opening the three-hour telecast. Instead, he turned the Shrine Auditorium’s in-the-round stage over to the veteran comedy chops of Romano, Ellen DeGeneres and Lewis Black.

One of the night’s other standing ovations went to former vice president Al Gore, whose Current TV channel, which features viewer-created videos, was honored for achievement in interactive television.

“We are trying to open up the television medium so that viewers can help to make television, and join the conversation of democracy, and reclaim American democracy by talking about the choices we have to make,” said Gore, whose global-warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” received an Oscar earlier this year.

Queen Latifah helped salute the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots” on its 30th anniversary. The saga about a black American family’s history “brought great honor to the art form that we celebrate,” she said.

“Let us all work to ensure that we all honor the legacy of `Roots’ not just tonight but in everything we do,” added “Roots” star John Amos, reunited onstage with his castmates to yet another standing ovation.

Emmy Awards winners in details

Winners on Sunday’s 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

Drama Series: “The Sopranos,” HBO.
Comedy Series: “30 Rock,” NBC.
Miniseries: “Broken Trail,” AMC.
Variety, Music or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.
Variety, Music or Comedy Special: “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.
Made-for-TV Movie: “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” HBO.
Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.
Creative Achievement in Interactive TV: Current.
Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, “Boston Legal,” ABC.
Actor, Comedy Series: Ricky Gervais, “Extras,” HBO.
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Robert Duvall, “Broken Trail,” AMC.
Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC.
Actress, Comedy Series: America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty,” ABC.
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre),” PBS.
Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Terry O’Quinn, “Lost,” ABC.
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, “Entourage,” HBO.
Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden Church, “Broken Trail,” AMC.
Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC.
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl,” NBC.
Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Judy Davis, “The Starter Wife,” USA.
Individual Performance, Variety or Music Program: Tony Bennett, “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.
Directing, Drama Series: “The Sopranos: Kennedy and Heidi,” HBO.
Directing, Comedy Series: “Ugly Betty: Pilot,” ABC.
Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre),” PBS.
Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Program: “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.
Writing for a Drama Series: “The Sopranos: Made in America,” HBO.
Writing, Comedy Series: “The Office: Gay Witch Hunt,” NBC.
Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: “Prime Suspect: The Final Act,” PBS.
Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC.

Earlier this week, Bloomfield’s (North Jersey) mayor and council had denied a permit to film the Sopranos series’ final scene, saying they found the HBO mob drama a disparaging portrait of Italian-Americans.

Township attorney Brian Aloia has decided, however, that the town clerk is required to issue a filming permit and the council doesn’t have a say unless the permit requires a waiver. A waiver wasn’t needed for “The Sopranos” shoot because producers would be filming in a commercial area instead of a residential one after 8 p.m., he said.

HBO was to shoot the scene at an ice cream shop in Bloomfield. The town borders Newark, where fictional mob boss Tony Soprano grew up.

Aloia said the clerk must issue a permit after determining that a shoot fulfills certain legal requirements, such as having adequate insurance.

“She must look at the application in an objective manner,” he said. “She cannot consider, for instance, what’s being filmed or in this case if she likes the show or doesn’t like the show.”

Permits were approved last week. But after complaints, the council voted again on Monday and rejected them.

Bloomfield Mayor Raymond McCarthy, whose wife is Italian, voted against the shoot twice.

“I don’t think 1The Sopranos‘ depicts the life of a typical Italian American in a positive way,” he said, “and I still don’t like the way people see New Jersey based upon ‘The Sopranos’ series.”

The owners of the old-fashioned ice cream parlor selected for the series’ final scene, Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionary, said personal feelings shouldn’t stand in the way.

After receiving word on Friday of the town’s reversal, co-owner Ron Stark said he was excited about becoming a pop culture landmark.

“Hopefully this will all work out,” he said.

The show is scheduled to resume on April 8.