Ozzy and Ali G lead the British at US Emmies

The unlikely couple of Ozzy Osbourne and Ali G were named yesterday as the flag carriers of British talent on American television after they were nominated in the same category for an Emmy.

The Brummy rocker and the bling-bling comedian from Staines will compete in the awards' alternative reality TV section, with the US version of The Antiques Roadshow.

The nominations brought the total number of Britons in the running for an Emmy, the American equivalent of the Baftas, to six out of 435 nominees.

Other British stars invited to the prize ceremony in Los Angeles on 21 September include Dame Helen Mirren, up for two awards, Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Maggie Smith.

The nomination of Ali G, the rap artist persona of the British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, represents a U-turn in critical opinion over the Atlantic after early episodes of the American version of his spoof interview show were widely slated.

The comedian caused an outcry when, on his first show on HBO cable, he deliberately confused the 11 September attacks with a convenience store chain and referred to the atrocity as 7/11.

The Washington Post wrote: "Cohen in character is clueless but nothing excuses joking about 11 September 2001."

The nomination for The Osbournes, the MTV show chronicling the chaotic domestic life of Ozzy, his wife and two children, completes the return of the former Black Sabbath singer to mainstream success after the show was serialised across the globe.

The three British actresses are also competing against each other for a single award in the category for best actress in a mini-series or a movie.

Dame Maggie is nominated for Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone, Dame Helen for My House in Umbria and Bonham Carter for Live from Baghdad. Dame Helen is also nominated in the supporting actress category for Door to Door.

The other Briton shortlisted is Peter O'Toole, for supporting actor in the mini-series Hitler: The Rise of Evil, playing ageing President von Hindenburg.

Otherwise the Emmies were dominated by recent hits on US TV, most of which have also been exported to Britain.

Six Feet Under, the comedy drama about a funeral parlour, topped the nominations' list by being shortlisted for 16 awards, pipping the White House drama, The West Wing, with 15 nominations. The Sopranos collected 13 nominations along with Sex and the City.

THE MAIN NOMINATIONS

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Six Feet Under

The Sopranos

24

The West Wing

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Everybody Loves Raymond

Friends

Sex and the City

Will and Grace

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Bernie Mac - Bernie Mac Show

Larry David - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Ray Romano - Everybody Loves Raymond

Matt LeBlanc - Friends

Tony Shalhoub - Monk

Eric McCormack - Will and Grace

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Vic Mackey - The Shield

Peter Krause - Six Feet Under

James Gandolfini - The Sopranos

Kiefer Sutherland - 24

Martin Sheen - West Wing

LEAD ACTOR IN MINISERIES/MOVIE

William H Macy - Door to Door

Brad Garrett - Gleason

Tom Wilkinson - Normal

Paul Newman - Our Town

James Woods - The Rudy Giuliani Story

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Patricia Heaton - Everybody Loves Raymond

Jennifer Aniston - Friends

Jane Kaczmarek - Malcolm in the Middle

Sarah Jessica Parker - Sex and the City

Debra Messing - Will & Grace

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Jennifer Garner - Alias

Marg Helgenberger - CSI

Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under

Edie Falco - The Sopranos

Allison Janney -West Wing

LEAD ACTRESS IN MINISERIES/MOVIE

Thora Birch - Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

Helena Bonham Carter - Live From Baghdad

Maggie Smith - My House in Umbria

Jessica Lange - Normal

Helen Mirren - The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone