BBC's Sam Taylor: "Several boosts for British talent"

Irons, star of films including Stealing Beauty, Reversal of Fortune and the controversial Lolita, accepted the award at a star-studded ceremony at the Old Vic Theatre in London .

He said: "Although awards were pleasant, it was not the selling of a movie or going to premieres that I enjoyed about acting.

Kate Winslet: A People's Choice award for the newly-married actress

"When I decided to become an actor, much to the surprise of many people who knew my talents, it was because I wanted to keep outside the society I had been educated in, which I didn't much like.

"I wanted to be a gypsy, and it sounds ridiculous."

There were other successes for British nominees at European film's biggest night, revamped this year to compete with the the big American award ceremonies.

Jeremy Irons describes his reaction to winning the award

Peter Howitt won the Best European Screenwriter for Sliding Doors, his romantic movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Kate Winslet also triumphed as Best European Actress in the People's Choice awards for her role in the smash hit Titanic.

Double for Benigni

The Best European Actor award went to Italian Roberto Benigni.

He also won the European Film of the Year for La Vita E Bella, or Life is Beautiful, his comedy about the holocaust.

Benigni said: "This prize for me is a demonstration of love. I don't know how to demonstrate my thanks for the amount of this love.

"Why don't we all sleep together tonight?"

Best European Actress was a joint win for Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier, joint stars of La Vie Revee Des Anges, or The Dream Life of Angels.

Best European Cinematographer was Adrian Biddle for Neil Jordan's film The Butcher Boy from Ireland.

The People's Choice for Best European Actor was Antonio Banderas for The Mask of Zorro.

Voted Best European Director by the public was Roland Emmerich, the German director of the blockbuster Godzilla.

Weir prize

The Screen International Award for a non-European film was given to The Truman Show, directed by Australian Peter Weir.

The European Critics Award went to director Goran Paskaljevic for Bure Baruta and Best European Documentary was given to Claudio Pazienza from Belgium.

The European Short Film was Un Jour by Marie Taccou from France and joint winners of the European Discovery Award were Danish film Festen or The Celebration and La Vie Revee Des Anges.

Swede Stellan Skarsgard won the European Achievement in World Cinema Award for his appearances in Amistad and Good Will Hunting.

He beat illustrious competition from Antonio Banderas, Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Depardieu, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.