The mob scored its biggest hit last night when “The Sopranos” bagged top honors in all four categories it was nominated for at the 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
The wildly popular HBO mob show faced stiff competition for most awards from “American Beauty.” But the sex-infused film that offers a seamy slice of suburbia bit the bullet and took home three awards at the yearly glitz-and-glamfest, broadcast locally on WNBC/Ch. 4.
“Sopranos” bumped off TV titans like NBC’s “ER” and ABC’s “The Practice” to walk off with the prize for best TV drama series.
“This is really great, but have you seen our new posters?” joked “Sopranos” creator David Chase, referring to the show’s recent ad blitz.
Edie Falco — who got one of the show’s few Emmys last year for her role as long-suffering mob wife Carmela — won last night for best TV drama actress.
“This is for Lorraine Bracco,” Falco said, holding out her award to her co-star, nominated in the same category.
Falco also made a possibly inadvertent pun while thanking the people who work on the show: “This goes to the ‘Sopranos’ crew, who’s probably shooting as we speak.”
James Gandolfini, who bagged the best TV drama actor award for his role as tough-guy wiseguy Tony Soprano, paid tribute to co-star Nancy Marchand.
Marchand, the show’s manipulative mob mom, was forced to skip the Beverly Hilton Hotel ceremony — where she was named best supporting TV actress — because she’s battling cancer.
“She couldn’t be here tonight, and I’m standing here ’cause of her,” Gandolfini said.
The Globes — with nominees and winners chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — showcases both celluloid favorites and television picks.
The silver-screen nominations are considered a precursor to the upcoming Academy Awards presentation.
“American Beauty” won three out of its six nominations — with Sam Mendes named best director. The movie also won best screenplay and best dramatic picture.
But “Beauty” was up against serious box-office beasts — and its co-stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening both lost out for best actor and actress awards.
Denzel Washington knocked out the competition for best dramatic actor, winning for his portrayal of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who spent two decades in jail for murders he didn’t commit.
“When we made this film, I really began to understand what ‘God is love’ means,” Washington said, with Carter by his side on stage. “This man right here is love, he’s all love.”
Earlier, Carter, who had once criticized the film, said he was “proud and pleased” to be introducing a clip from it.
Tom Hank’s animated “Toy Story 2” was the surprise winner for best comedy picture.
Among other upstart winners were Hilary Swank’s win for her gender-bending turn in “Boys Don’t Cry” and Janet McTeer’s honor for best actress in a comedy film for the Southern-set, “Tumbleweeds.”
Box-office smashes like “The Insider,” about a tobacco-industry whistleblower, and “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” about a social-climbing psychopath, went home empty-handed.
Early on, all eyes were on Parkinson’s disease-afflicted Michael J. Fox, who got a standing ovation when he walked away with the best TV comedy actor honor for the second year in a row for ABC’s “Spin City.”
But sin city beat out “Spin City” and other small-screen heavyweights, when HBO’s “Sex and the City” snagged the best comedy series award.
It was a big night for HBO — the sultry star of “Sex,” Sarah Jessica Parker, won for best TV comedy actress.
The cable network’s “RKO 281” got the best TV miniseries honor, and Halle Berry won best actress in a TV mini-series for her starring role in HBO’s “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.”
For the second year in a row, million-dollar funnyman Jim Carrey took home the statuette for best actor in a comedy picture for “Man on the Moon.”
Other winners were heartthrob Tom Cruise, who grabbed the best supporting actor honor for his 20-minute turn as a self-help guru in the film “Magnolia,” and Angelina Jolie for her performance as a sociopath in “Girl, Interrupted.”
Barbra Streisand was given the Cecil B. DeMille award, for “outstanding contribution to the entertainment field.”