IRIS star Jim Broadbent led the charge for Britain in the Oscars today as he landed the best supporting actor prize at the glitzy ceremony. But black actors dominated the ceremony as never before with Denzel Washington and Halle Berry taking the starring roles at the glittering event.

The pair took the top on-screen titles while pioneering star Sidney Poitier - the first black star to be named best actor nearly four decades ago - was given an honorary award.

The biggest movie of the night was A Beautiful Mind which was named best picture and its creator Ron Howard was named best director, contributing to a haul of four prizes.

Lord Of The Rings was another four-time winner, although the prizes were for its technical achievements and music, rather than the most celebrated awards.

Alongside Broadbent's title, Britain's other big win was for best original screenplay with Julian Fellowes taking the title for his script for period piece Gosford Park.

Overjoyed Fellowes, an actor who specialises in toff roles, joked: "I feel like I'm in A Star is Born and any minute now Norman Maine is going to come out and whack me in the mouth."

He thanked his son Peregrine and wife Emma "who have a lot to put up with". "When I'm not working I'm mean moody and difficult and then when I start on a new job I change into someone who's even more mean moody and difficult."

Broadbent beat two other British stars - Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Ben Kingsley - to land the supporting actor role.

The 52-year-old star won the leading award for his role as John Bayley, husband of writer Iris Murdoch whose life is chronicled in the touching portrayal of her life and struggle with illness.

Stunned Broadbent stood before Hollywood's leading actors, actresses and movie bigwigs and declared: "Stone the crows."

"Making Iris was the most joyful, wonderful experience," the Lincoln-born actor said. "I'd like to thank John Bayley for allowing us to plunder and misrepresent his life with Iris and above all I'd like to thank my wife Anstasia."

His success came after a trio British stars saw their Oscar dream shattered as they lost out in the best supporting actress category.

Dame Maggie Smith, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren - each nominated many times in the past - missed out to US star Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind.

Brits Tom Wilkinson and Dame Judi Dench also missed out in the actor and actress categories.

Washington and Berry's wins were an historic double for black actors. Until this year, just one black star had taken an Oscar for a lead role, Poitier's performance in Lilies Of The Field in 1963.

* HALLE Berry became the first black star to take the best actress title and sobbed uncontrollably as she took the stage.

"Oh my God," was the only phrase she could manage for at least a minute. "This moment is so much bigger than me," she finally blurted out.

"This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened. I'm so honoured and I thank the academy for choosing me to be the vessel."

But the star, honoured for her performance in Monster's Ball, eventually got into her flow to thank everyone she could think of. By the time she got to thanking her lawyer, she was being encouraged to leave the stage.

But she continued: "Wait a minute, 74 years here, I've got to take this time."

* Pictured: Halle Berry