Britain's 12 Years A Slave takes top movie drama award at Golden Globes

It saw off competition from Captain Phillips, Gravity, Philomena and Rush to become a success story for Britain.

The win provided a well-need boost for Britain, after a number of leading actors and actresses missed out on wins despite nominations.

Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor had been tipped for the most success, going head-to-head with each other for two gongs before both loosing out.

Elba, who rose to fame in US drama The Wire, was nominated for best actor in a motion picture for his performance as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom and best actor in a mini-series or TV movie category for his role as the troubled detective in the BBC's Luther.

Ejiofor was nominated in the same category for another BBC drama - Dancing On The Edge - while his role in McQueen's epic 12 Years A Slave got him a nod for best actor in a motion picture.

The film is based on the true story of New Yorker Solomon Northup who was kidnapped and sold into slavery as an adult.

But there was one blow for the film after McQueen lost out on the battle for best director to Alfonso Cuaron and his space adventure Gravity.

American Hustle was another key winner of the night, taking home best motion picture for a musical or comedy.

Jacqueline Bisset was Britain's only female to triumph, winning best supporting actress in a series, mini-series or movie for the BBC's Dancing On The Edge, beating fellow Brit and White Queen star Janet McTeer.

The nominees for best actress in a motion picture drama read like a roll call of UK acting talent with nods for Emma Thompson in Saving Mr Banks, Kate Winslet in Labor Day and Dame Judi Dench for Philomena.

But the acclaimed actresses were all left behind after Cate Blanchett took home the gong for her role in Blue Jasmine.

Helena Bonham-Carter also missed out after a nomination for best actress in a mini-series for her starring role in the BBC Four TV film Burton And Taylor.

Writers Jeff Pope and Steve Coogan watched on as their hit film Philomena lost out to futuristic romance Her, written by Spike Jonze, in the best screenplay category.

Nominee Christian Bale was left empty handed after Leonardo DiCaprio took home the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical for The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Bale was shortlisted for his starring role as conman Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle.

Blue Jasmine star Sally Hawkins lost out in the best supporting actress category to Jennifer Lawrence, who collected the award for her role in American Hustle in another win for the blockbuster.

U2 and Danger Mouse won the award for best original song for Ordinary Love, in the Nelson Mandela biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - the band's first recording since 2010.

U2 singer Bono said working on the film completed a decades-long journey with Mandela, having played an anti-apartheid concert some 35 years ago.

"This man turned our life upside down, right-side up," said Bono of the South African leader who died last month.

"A man who refused to hate not because he didn't have rage or anger or those things, but that he thought love would do a better job."

It meant Coldplay missed out with their chart hit Atlas for the US blockbuster Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Despite its latest series breaking audience records on the other side of the pond, ITV's Downton Abbey failed to win best TV series drama after coming up against the gritty Breaking Bad.

The Golden Globes offered a fond farewell to the epic tale of meth kingpin Walter White, honouring it as TV's best drama and giving Bryan Cranston the top acting award.

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan said the award gives the show, which concluded last autumn, one more chance to thank its fans, "especially the early adopters" who started watching the dark tale in its first season.

Other big winners at the Golden Globes were the Fox detective comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the HBO film about Liberace, Behind The Candelabra.

Cranston's award for Breaking Bad came after losing four times in the category.

"This is such a wonderful honour and such a lovely way to say goodbye to the show that has meant so much to me," he said.

In two of the bigger surprises of the evening, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was named best television comedy and Andy Samberg won best actor in a comedy for his work on the show.

Robin Wright won for her work in House Of Cards. She paid tribute to her co-star, Kevin Spacey, calling him "the best playdate, ever."

Netflix's award represented the first time a service other than a broadcast or cable network has won a major television award.

Movie star Michael Douglas donned the flamboyant costumes to play Liberace for Behind The Candelabra, and won his fourth Golden Globe for the work. Earlier in the evening, the production won the award for best TV movie.

Douglas called his co-star, Matt Damon, "the bravest, talented actor I've ever worked with".

Show co-host Amy Poehler capped her big night by winning the best actress award for NBC's Parks & Recreation.

For a joke, she was sitting on Bono's lap when the camera cut to her as nominees' names were read. She looked as though she did not want to rush off when the announcement came that she won.

Elisabeth Moss gets a lot of publicity for her work on Mad Men, but won a Golden Globe as best actress in a miniseries for playing a detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant girl in Top Of The Lake.

Veteran actress Jacqueline Bisset, five times a nominee who won her first Golden Globe, savoured the moment in getting a best supporting actress trophy.

She played Lady Cremone in the BBC production of Dancing On The Edge.

Her acceptance was punctuated by silence, she kept talking when the music tried to usher her offstage and even forced the censor to press the "bleep" button after she uttered a profanity.

"I want to thank my mother," she said. "What did she say? Go to hell and don't come back."

The Los Angeles awards show, organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), is seen as a pointer for who will challenge for Oscars honours in March.