LOS ANGELES -- The mob drama "The Sopranos" went out with a bang at the conclusion of the 59th annual Emmy Awards Sunday night, winning for Best Dramatic Series.

It was the second win in the category for the acclaimed series, which previously won in 2004. The show also nabbed writing and directing honors for a drama series.

"In essence this a story about a gangster, and gangsters are out there taking their kids to college and taking their kids to school, and putting food on their table. Let's face it, if the world -- this nation -- was run by gangsters? Maybe it is," cracked show creator David Chase.

The Lorne Michaels-produced "30 Rock," a sitcom about producing a "Saturday Night Live"-type of sketch show, won Best Comedy Series.

Accepting the Emmy for the show, star and producer Tina Fey joked about the size of "30 Rock's" audience as she thanked its "dozens and dozens of viewers."

The special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" was the biggest winner overall with seven Emmys total. It won three trophies last night and four from the week before at the Creative Arts Emmys.

While "The Sopranos" took the top Drama trophy, it missed out on the lead acting honors for its stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco.

Taking his third Best Actor in a Drama Emmy was James Spader for "Boston Legal."

"Oh my goodness, I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob," said Spader, in joking reference to winning over Gandolfini and his "Sopranos" cast mates. "And they're all sitting over there."

Sally Field won for Best Actress in Drama Series for playing the family matriarch on "Brothers and Sisters" -- her third Emmy win in seven tries.

"This (award) belongs to all the mothers in the world -- may they be seen, may their work be valued and raised -- and especially to mothers who stand with an open heart and wait -- wait for their children to come home -- from danger, from harm's way and from war," Field said. "I am proud to be one of those women."

But as Field concluded her speech she was cut off -- not by music -- but by network censors.

"If mothers ruled the world there would be no --," Fields said, as the audio went silent and the camera cut to a generic shot of the auditorium.

Ricky Gervais was a winner but a no-show to pick up his Best Actor in a Comedy Series for "Extras"; while America Ferrera won her first Emmy in her first try for Best Comedy Actress for "Ugly Betty."

"It is truly an amazing, wonderful thing that happens when your dreams come true, and just I wish that for everybody that they get to do what inspires them to make a change in the world," Ferrera said.

Katherine Heigl, Jaime Pressly, Terry O'Quinn and Jeremy Piven took the supporting series trophies earlier in the evening.

Heigl appeared stunned when she won her first-ever Best Supporting Actress in a Drama trophy for "Grey's Anatomy."

"My own mother told me that I didn't have a shot in hell in winning tonight, so I really don't have anything prepared," Heigl laughed. "She's a really big supporter. She does love me."

She concluded her speech on more of a serious note, telling her mother, who was in the audience, "This is for you, this is because of you. I wouldn't want to be here without you."

It was also O'Quinn's first trip to the winner's podium, winning the Best Supporting Dramatic Actor Emmy for "Lost."

"Sometimes when we are rolling along in the jungle and we are hitting each other and stabbing each other and they're pouring on the blood and turning on the sprinklers, I wonder what it would be like to bake up a sheet of cookies on Wisteria Lane ... and get one of their checks," O'Quinn joked, referencing the stars of "Desperate Housewives," who were sitting in the audience.

Piven won his second consecutive Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for "Entourage," while Pressly took the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy trophy -- her first in two tries -- for "My Name is Earl."

Pressly was on the verge of tears throughout her speech, which concluded with thanks to her manager and lawyer, who have both been with her for the duration her 13-year career.

"Here's to the little engine that could that finally did," Pressly said.

Thomas Haden Church held back tears, too, accepting his Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Emmy for the Western miniseries "Broken Trail."

Church's last person on his thank-you list was his Dad, "who taught me to love Westerns when I was a little kid."

Robert Duvall gushed over the success of "Broken Trail" during his speech for winning Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, proclaiming that the Western genre is far from being dead.

"The Western is here to stay and I'm very glad to be a part of it," Duvall said, accepting his first Emmy in four tries. "I'm very proud to be an actor in this business."

"Roots" cast members Cicely Tyson, Leslie Uggams, John Amos, Ed Asner, Levar Burton, Lou Gossett Jr. and Ben Vereen took the stage to present the outstanding miniseries Emmy, which went to "Broken Trail."

But first, Queen Latifah helped the Emmys celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Roots," a multi-generational tale about slavery by renowned author Alex Haley.

"Here we are, 30 years later, and we remain profoundly moved that Alex Haley's story struck such a lasting and resounding chord," said Tyson of the groundbreaking miniseries.

"'Roots' changed all of our lives -- I know it changed mine," Burton added. "I know that it means the world to us to know that 'Roots' changed so many of your lives as well."

Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar earlier this year, won her fourth overall Emmy, this time for the Masterpiece Theatre production of "Prime Suspect: The Final Act."

"You Americans are wonderful, generous people. You're a lot of other things as well -- some good, some bad," Mirren said with a laugh. "But if were to categorize your natures it's generosity above all, and you took our piece of work to your hearts and you made it what it became, which was a piece of iconic television."

"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," which went into the night as the overall nomination leader, won the Emmy for Best Television Movie.

The Emmys also gave a special Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Television, to Current TV, an interactive television network for the people who use it.

Current TV CEO Joel Hyatt and former Vice President Al Gore -- a partner in the initiative, accepted the award.

"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," Gore said.

The show was presented in the round at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, which prompted complaints from various presenters and winners.

The ceremony opened with a musical number by two of the animated stars of "Family Guy," Stewie and Brian the dog (both voiced by series creator Seth McFarlane).

"Those women look sensational for being 65," the duo sang, in reference to the "Desperate Housewives" stars.

They also joked in the song that NBC hired Isaiah Washington -- fired from ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" after purportedly using anti-gay slurs against cast member T.R. Knight -- to take the place of Kramer (Michael Richards) in a "Seinfeld" reunion. The line in the number prompted a small smile from Knight.

The video and audio of the song also temporarily went to a black, silent screen in a tip of the cap to the controversal ending of "The Sopranos."

Upon his introduction, show host "American Idol" emcee Ryan Seacrest quipped in reference to his "Idol" gig, "Welcome to the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards -- the results show." Among the targets of his jokes was "Idol" judge Paula Abdul.