Rings picks up best editing award

The Return of the King has 11 Oscar nominations

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has won the top prize at the American Cinema Editor's Awards in Los Angeles.

The final instalment based on JRR Tolkien's epic trilogy picked up the honour for best dramatic feature.

The Return of the King editor Jamie Selkirk praised the "fantastic" script and direction from Peter Jackson, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Pirates of the Caribbean won the award for best comedy or musical film.

Best edited documentary went to Yana Gorskaya's Spellbound, which follows eight pupils competing in America's National Spelling Bee.

Lifetime achievement

The awards from the society of US film editors, which was founded in 1950, also honour television editing achievements.

Best edited non-commercial TV film went to John Bloom and Antonia Van Drimmelen for part one of Angels in America, starring Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

Real-time drama 24 won the best hour-long TV programme award for its 22.00 - 23.00 episode while comedy Will and Grace picked up the award for best half-hour programme with its epsiode Last Ex to Brooklyn.

Veteran director, writer and producer Garry Marshall, behind hit films including Runaway Bride, Pretty Woman and Frankie and Johnny, was presented with the organisation's Golden Eddie Film-maker of the Year Award.

Marshall was also the driving force behind many successful television shows such as Happy Days, The Odd Couple and Mork and Mindy.