Dame Helen is Queen of the Globes

Dame Helen missed out on an award for TV's Prime Suspect Full details of the winners Profile: Dame Helen Mirren Join the Oscars panel 2007

British actress Dame Helen Mirren has dominated this year's Golden Globes, even though Babel and Dreamgirls won the two main film categories.

She received acting prizes as Elizabeth I in the TV mini-series of the same name and as Elizabeth II in The Queen, which also won best film screenplay.

There were two further awards for Elizabeth I, while Martin Scorsese was best director for The Departed.

Forest Whitaker, Sacha Baron Cohen and Meryl Streep also won acting Globes.

Whitaker's leading role in The Last King of Scotland, in which he plays Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, earned him best actor in a film drama.

For me personally it was one of the best nights of my life Dame Helen Mirren The night in quotes

Baron Cohen described Borat, his controversial parody of a Kazakh journalist, as "a life-changing experience".

"Thank you to every American who has not sued me so far," he joked after receiving the trophy for best comedy actor in a movie.

Meanwhile Streep said her Golden Globe for The Devil Wears Prada - for which she was named best actress in a comedy film - made her "want to cry with gratitude".

Dame Helen told the BBC that it was "a fantastic night in general for British writers and directors and actors".

Sacha Baron Cohen caused controversy with his Borat spoof Golden Globes: In pictures

"I hope we don't suffer a backlash next year - we may well."

She added: "For me personally it was one of the best nights of my life."

Jeremy Irons, who won best supporting actor in a mini-series, said it had been "wonderful" to play opposite Dame Helen in Elizabeth I.

"Why is it that the jobs that are the most fun are the ones that give you the awards?" he asked.

TV winners

Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima was named best foreign language film.

GOLDEN GLOBES Awarded by Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for film and television work Considered Hollywood's second-biggest movie honours after the Academy Awards Ceremony is unusual in dividing film awards into drama/musical or comedy categories HFPA has more than 80 members, all international journalists, representing 55 countries Awards ceremonies explained

TV comedy Ugly Betty received best TV comedy series, while its main star, America Ferrera, was judged to be the top comedy actress on TV.

Medical drama Grey's Anatomy was best TV drama series.

Hugh Laurie's portrayal of a grumpy medical consultant in House earned him top TV drama actor.

Animation

Dreamgirls - named best musical or comedy film - collected three awards, including best supporting movie actor for Eddie Murphy.

Murphy described Dreamgirls as "such a wonderful movie"

People did not usually offer him a supporting role such as this, he said. "I've always been open to it - it just never came to me."

The musical about a 1960s girl group also earned Jennifer Hudson the best supporting actress in a film.

She said she had "never ever dreamed this big".

"This goes far beyond anything I could have ever imagined," the former American Idol contestant added.

Although Babel - starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett - won best drama among the year's film releases, it failed to pick up any other Golden Globes. It had been nominated seven times in all.

Emily Blunt was best supporting TV actress for Gideon's Daughter, a Stephen Poliakoff drama which also earned Bill Nighy an acting award.

And 2007 also marked a first for the Globes with a new animation category, won by Disney's Cars.