Los Angeles - Led by the most talked about comedian in the country, Tina Fey, the stars of the US television world are set for their biggest night of the year Sunday when the 60th Emmy TV awards are handed out.

Fey has been making headlines this week for her spot-on impersonation of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin on the comedy show Saturday Night Live.

But her Emmy prospects rely on the comedy 30 Rock, which she developed, produces and stars in, and which leads the overall nominations with 17 nods, including outstanding comedy series and actor nods for Fey and Alec Baldwin. The show was named outstanding comedy last year.

Also prominent in the Emmys is cable TV drama Mad Men, about New York City advertisers in the 1960s, which has 16 nominations in the drama category, including outstanding drama series and a best actor nod for John Hamm.

The show is the first programme that screens on basic cable channels to garner such high profile accolades, though shows like The Sopranos on HBO have long dominated TV awards competitions.

The overall nomination leader going in to Sunday's ceremony is HBO's historical mini-series John Adams with a total of 23 nods, including a best actor nomination for Paul Giamatti.

The nominees for best drama are Damages, Mad Men, Lost, House, Boston Legal and Dexter. Damages and Mad Men were the first shows on basic cable channels to be nominated for the most prestigious prize in the top US television awards. Critics say they have a good chance of winning as the dominating show of recent years, The Sopranos, is no longer on the air.

Competing with 30 Rock for the outstanding comedy are: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, The Office, and Two and a Half Men. In the best comedy actor categories Baldwin will compete with Steve Carell, The Office; Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies; Tony Shalhoub, Monk; and Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men. Tina Fey's competition comes from Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine; and Mary- Louise Parker, Weeds.

The nominees for best dramatic actor are Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Michael C Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House; and James Spader, Boston Legal.

Glenn Close, Damages; Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Holly Hunter, Saving Grace; and Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer, are the nominees for best dramatic actress.

The nominees for best variety show are The Colbert Report, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Late Show With David Letterman, Real Time With Bill Maher and Saturday Night Live. The nominated mini- series are The Andromeda Strain, Cranford, John Adams and Tin Man.

The 60th annual Emmys are set to air Sunday from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.