Inglourious Basterds wins top Screen Actors Guild award

Christoph Waltz and Diane Kruger were cast in Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds has won its biggest award so far after taking the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The World War II revenge drama took the prize for best performance by a cast, which included Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Christoph Waltz.

The best actor and best actress awards went to Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side.

The awards are seen as a pointer to the Oscars, which take place on 7 March.

The Screen Actors Guild honour adds to a string of awards for Tarantino's film.

Inglourious Basterds beat rival Precious to the accolade, while The Hurt Locker, British movie An Education and Nine were left empty-handed.

Waltz won the best supporting actor statuette for playing a manipulative Nazi officer in the movie.

Standing ovation

Bullock was recognised for her role as the mother in the true story of Michael Oher who is adopted from a deprived background by a privileged family and goes on to become a professional American footballer.

She said: "I was lucky that I wanted to better my work, and that I was given the opportunity."

Bridges, 60, was given a standing ovation for his portrayal of a drunken country singer in Crazy Heart.

Newcomer Mo'Nique won best supporting actress for playing against type as an abusive mother in Precious.

The 1960s series Mad Men took the television drama award, while Glee won the comedy equivalent in its first season.