Last night showed an invasion of British talent at the Golden Globes, as Kate Winslet, Idris Elba and television favourite Downton Abbey were recognised for their kudos in the film industry.

Flying the flag for Britain, Kate Winslet dedicated her award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie for her role in Mildred Pierce to her two children, and made no mention of new boyfriend Ned Rocknroll, who was the first to congratulate her with her kiss at the ceremony.

'I share this with my beautiful children, Mia and Joe, who light up my life every day, I'm so proud to be their mum,' she gushed.

Captivating audiences across both sides of the Atlantic, ITV's drama revolving around the illustrious and scandalous Crawley family won Best Miniseries at the Beverley Hills awards ceremony.

Talking about the 'fabulous' journey Downton has been, the show's creator, Julian Fellows, said, 'The whole Downton adventure has been an extraordinary one. Like spotting a promising child and waking up to find they've won the Olympics - and that's what we've lived through.'

Making a special mention to his mother for keeping him grounded, the only Brit-based travesty of the evening was that Maggie Smith, the nation's favourite Dowager Countess of Grantham, was pipped to the post by Jessica Lange in the best TV supporting actress category.

We couldn't even quarrel when the panel selected Brit-based Idris Elba over Downton's Hugh Bonneville for Best Actor in a Miniseries, for his role in BBC crime drama Luther.

With gorgeous gowns sashaying down the red carpet and Ricky Gervais in full throttle on the joke front, we can't wait for the next award ceremony of the year. Now, to the Oscars for a more conservative, formal affair, where Gervais certainly won't be able to make saucy puns about Jodie Foster's directing role in 'The Beaver'.

Picture credit: Press Association