Cameron Diaz picked up two awards for Charlie's Angels

And Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi won best fight scene for her martial artistry in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

While both Gladiator and Erin Brockovich were both trophy winners at the Oscars - Hollywood's top film awards, the MTV awards also reflect the less serious side of the movies with categories such as best kiss and best fight.

Viewers of cable television channel, who vote on the awards, generally reward action films, or "popcorn movies".

Bucket

The victors receive a bucket of golden popcorn.

Tom Cruise celebrates his M:I-2 success

Another big winner was Tom Cruise for best male performer in action thriller Mission: Impossible 2.

Hosts Jimmy Fallon, of TV show Saturday Night Live and actress Kirsten Dunst opened the awards with a parody of The Mummy Returns in which they tried to wipe off the facial markings of a Magi warrior.

The night's first popcorn bucket for Best On-Screen team of actors went to the action trio from Charlie's Angels.

Cameron Diaz, who collected the award, stretched out her arms as if wrapping them around her co-stars and said: "Sorry I showed up without my other parts."

She later collected another bucket for best dance sequence in the same movie in which she opened the film dancing in her underwear.

Heroes and villains

Best Action Sequence went to John Woo for the motorcycle chase in Mission: Impossible 2.

Crouching Tiger's Zhang Zihi: Don't mess with her

Best Villain was Jim Carrey for Doctor Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Walking to the stage, Carrey dived into a row of seats like a rock star diving off stage.

A relative newcomer, Erika Christensen, took an MTV trophy for her role as a drug addicted teenager in Traffic.

"This is killer. I'm freaking out," she said backstage. "This is really awesome because it means young people really identified with the film, and I didn't think that was going to happen."

List of Awards

BEST MOVIE - Gladiator BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible 2

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)

BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM - Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu & Drew Barrymore (Charlie's Angels)

BEST VILLAIN - Jim Carrey (The Grinch)

BEST DANCE SEQUENCE - Cameron Diaz (Charlie's Angels)

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE - MALE - Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance)

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE - FEMALE - Erika Christensen (Traffic)

BEST KISS - Sean Patrick Thomas & Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance)

BEST ACTION SEQUENCE - Motorcycle Chase (Mission: Impossible 2)

BEST FIGHT - Zhang Ziyi vs Entire Bar (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)