Tony Sirico (L), Michael Imperioli (C) and Steve Van Zandt of the television show 'The Sopranos' pose during the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, January 28, 2007. [Reuters]

An online leak about the Primetime Emmy Award finalists in the comedy and drama series categories raised questions Monday about the security and future of the Emmy voting process.

When TheEnvelope.com (http://www.theenvelope.com) posted the list of the top 10 finalists in each category during the weekend, citing multiple judges who were screening the series as sources, it also shed light on this year's voting process.

According to the Los Angeles Times-operated site, the drama finalists are ABC's "Boston Legal," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost"; NBC's "Friday Night Lights" and "Heroes"; Fox's "House" and "24"; Showtime's "Dexter"; and HBO's "Rome" and "The Sopranos."

The comedy finalists, according to the site, are ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty"; NBC's "My Name Is Earl," "The Office," "Scrubs" and "30 Rock"; CBS' "Two and a Half Men"; HBO's "Entourage" and "Extras"; and Showtime's "Weeds."

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which oversees the Primetime Emmy Awards, declined comment on the accuracy of the lists. The final five nominees in each category -- or six, if the vote is close enough -- will be unveiled on July 19.

It is unclear whether the academy plans to investigate the sources of the leak. But in a statement, it said all Emmy judges are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

"The Primetime Emmy nomination process should not be compromised by premature disclosure of nominations information prior to the announcement of the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards nominees on July 19," the statement read. "All television academy members who take part in the judging process are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement; the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will not comment on any violations of that agreement or on any speculative reporting of nomination data."

At least one network source was pleased that the lists of finalists were leaked. The source, who did not wish to be identified, said the academy should make it a policy to start announcing the top 10 finalists on its own every year.

The leak could be linked to a change in the Emmy voting procedures this year.

The finalists -- selected by the entire academy membership -- are being screened in Los Angeles and New York by blue-ribbon panels consisting of several hundred academy members.

One rule change this year ensured that all panelists would know all series that made the cut as the top 10 in a certain category instead of only a few apiece, as they did last year. That makes it more difficult to keep the identity of the finalists under wraps. It remains to be seen whether the academy will revamp the voting process again as a result of the leak.