British actors prove popular at MTV film awards

The British actors Orlando Bloom and Ewan McGregor have proved their popularity with the young by winning film awards from the youth-dominated MTV audience.

The MTV Movie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles yesterday also saw a newly blonde Nicole Kidman winning two awards, including Best Female Performance for the musical Moulin Rouge.

She claimed she was disappointed, however, at not winning the Best Kiss award for her Moulin Rouge clinch with McGregor. That award went to two male actors – Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott, for the comedy American Pie 2.

Bloom, who is 25, won MTV's Best Breakthrough Male award for his role as Legolas Greenleaf in the epic The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, beating off competition from the fellow Briton and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, as well as Colin Hanks, Paul Walker and DMX.

The Lord of The Rings was also voted Best Movie overBlack Hawk Down, Legally Blonde, The Fast and the Furious and Shrek.

McGregor, 31, and Kidman won the award for Best Musical Sequence for their performances in Moulin Rouge. In a celebrated scene McGregor woos Kidman by serenading her with lyrics from famous pop songs.

Kidman, 34, also triumphed in the Best Female Performance category, scooping the award for her role as a courtesan in Moulin Rouge after facing competition from the Oscar-winner Halle Berry, Kate Beckinsale, Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon.

Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne's teenage daughter, Kelly, made her singing debut at the show, watched closely by her brother, Jack, who videotaped her performance from his seat in the audience.

Kelly, who has become a household name in America thanks to the success of fly-on-the-wall reality show The Osbournes, performed her first single, a cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach".

Will Smith, who was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year, captured Best Male Performance for his role as Muhammad Ali in Ali, and Reese Witherspoon took the award for Best Comedic Performance for Legally Blonde.

Witherspoon's success in that role made her one of the most sought comedy actresses in Hollywood. Denzel Washington was named Best Villain for his role as a maverick cop in the thriller Training Day. Britney Spears missed out on the award for Breakthrough Female for her debut movie role in Crossroads. That was won by Mandy Moore for A Walk To Remember.

Other awards included Best Action Sequence, which went toPearl Harbor, and Best Fight, which was won by Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan for Rush Hour 2.

The MTV Movie Awards, voted for by MTV viewers in the United States, will be broadcast on MTV in the UK and Ireland on 15 June.

Movie awards winners' list

Best Movie The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Best Male Performance Will Smith (Ali)

Best Female Performance Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge)

Best On-Screen Team Vin Diesel and Paul Walker (The Fast and The Furious)

Best Comedic Performance Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

Best Villain Denzel Washington (Training Day)

Breakthrough Performance, Male Orlando Bloom (The Lord of The Rings)

Breakthrough Performance, Female Mandy Moore (A Walk To Remember)

Best Kiss Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott (American Pie 2)

Best Action Sequence Pearl Harbor

Best Fight Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan (Rush Hour 2)

Best Musical Sequence Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge)