Christian Kane

Kiefer Sutherland stars in the hit US drama series 24

Thriller 24 and medical drama Grey’s Anatomy are among the top candidates on this year’s Primetime Emmy shortlist.

Kiefer Sutherland’s action series has 12 nominations in all, including a nod for best drama series.

Grey’s Anatomy has been shortlisted in 11 categories, while sitcom Will and Grace, which came to an end earlier this year, is up for 10 awards.

But Lost and Desperate Housewives, last year’s big winners, have both missed out in the best series categories.

Six-part mini-series Into the West, produced by director Steven Spielberg, is the most nominated show, with 16 nods in all.

The nominations were announced at a dawn ceremony in Los Angeles by former Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Garrett from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. MOST NOMINATIONS
16 - Into the West
13 - Elizabeth I
12 - 24
11 - Grey’s Anatomy, Mrs Harris
10 - Bleak House, Will and Grace
9 - Lost, Six Feet Under
8 - Rome
7 - The Girl in the Cafe, The Sopranos

Louis-Dreyfus was herself nominated for best comedy actress for her CBS show, The New Adventures of Old Christine.

House, The Sopranos and The West Wing are also up for best drama, while the US version of The Office is nominated in the best comedy category.

Its competition includes Curb Your Enthusiasm and Scrubs, and the recently cancelled Arrested Development.

British stars in the running include Dame Helen Mirren for mini-series Elizabeth I, Sir Ben Kingsley for the TV movie Mrs Harris and Kate Winslet and Patrick Stewart for playing themselves in Extras.

Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy are also recognised for Elizabeth I, whose 13 nominations represent a major coup for Channel 4, which helped back the series.

The BBC’s adaptation of Bleak House has 10 nominations, including one for actor Charles Dance, while Richard Curtis’ G8 summit-themed film The Girl in the Cafe gets seven.

Dame Helen Mirren (left) heads up this year’s British hopefuls Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant receive a writing nod for their sitcom Extras, up for four awards in all - one less than the American version of The Office, which they co-created.

But there is nothing this year for Hugh Laurie, despite winning a Golden Globe earlier this year for House.

New procedures brought in this year to widen the field seem to have had only a partial impact on the customary dominance of long-running shows like Six Feet Under and The West Wing.

The former has nine nominations in total, while the latter - which ended this year after seven series and 29 Emmys - is up for six awards.

There are 90 categories in all, containing a total of 451 separate nominations.

These will be divided between the main Primetime Emmy Awards on 27 August, presented by chat show host Conan O’Brien, and a separate presentation of technical awards on 19 August.

Both ceremonies will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.