Winslet Beats Dame Maggie To Snag SAG Award

Kate Winslet has gone head to head with Dame Maggie Smith and Emily Watson to win a coveted Screen Actors Guild award in Los Angeles.

The three British actresses were competing in the Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-series category - Dame Maggie for her role as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, Watson for Appropriate Adult and Winslet for Mildred Pierce.

But winner Winslet failed to accept the award in person - due to other commitments.

Instead, it was accepted on her behalf by American actress Glenn Close.

Tilda Swinton and Kenneth Branagh also represented Britain at the awards last night where actors honour each others' work but the pair failed to snatch top honours.

Branagh had been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in My Week With Marilyn, while Swinton was competing for the Best Actress award after her performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin.

Before the official ceremony, the guild presented its honour for Best Film by a Stunt Ensemble to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2".

The SAG Awards do not include a Best Picture category - instead they vote for best cast in a film and best ensemble acting in a TV programme.

Deep South drama The Help won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, pushing out hot favourite The Artist.

However, the Male Actor award was given to the silent film's star, French actor Jean Dujardin.

"I was a very bad student. I didn't listen in class. I was always dreaming," Dujardin said during his acceptance speech.

"My teachers called me 'Jean De La Lune' - Jean Of The Moon. And I realise now that I never stopped dreaming. Thank you very much."

Boardwalk Empire snared two awards, Best Actor in a Drama for Steve Buscemi and the group award of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke, 86, took to the stage at the Shrine Auditorium in LA to pay tribute to his former co-star Mary Tyler Moore, 75, who was presented with a 2011 Life Achievement Award.

The presenters of the 18th annual SAG awards included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley, Julianna Margulies and Tina Fey.