British TV triumphs in Emmys awards

In a clean sweep for the BBC, Bob Hoskins and Helena Bonham Carter won the top acting prizes, while Jimmy McGovern's The Street, drama Small Island and a children's animation also came out on top.

There was also a special honorary award for X Factor supremo Simon Cowell, who was recognised for his talent show creations and charity work.

Hoskins took the best actor award for his role in last year's series of The Street, when he played a recovering alcoholic pub owner whose morals lead him to stand up to the local gangster. The series itself was also named best drama.

Bonham Carter, reprising her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the latest Harry Potter film, carried off the best actress prize for the BBC biopic Enid, about the popular British children's author Enid Blyton.

The corporation's drama Small Island, based on Andrea Levy's novel about the lives of Jamaican immigrants in London during and after the Second World War, was named best TV movie/mini-series.

The other British winner last night was CBBC animation Shaun The Sheep, in the Children and Young People category.

Former Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley hosted the ceremony in New York, which honours excellence in TV programming outside the US.

Thirty-nine nominees from 15 countries contested the 10 categories for the prizes.