Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman both won awards

Moulin Rouge and The Lord of the Rings won three awards each, but The Lord of the Rings scooped the main prize, best film.

The Empire Awards lay claim to the title of the only major film awards voted for by film fans, and among the stars at Tuesday's ceremony were Tim Roth, Sir Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren and Kelly Macdonald.

Lee, 79, who is best-known for playing monstrous roles in Hammer horrors, can add the Empire award to the special achievement award he was given at the British Film Awards on Sunday.

He is becoming known to a new generation of is film fans thanks to the role of Saruman in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a part in the forthcoming Star Wars film.

Others will remember him for roles as Dracula and Bond villain Scaramanga, and he has notched up more than 250 other appearances - a world record. He was also made a CBE last year.

Bridget Jones' Diary: Named best British film

Two of Lee's Lord of the Rings co-stars - Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom - also picked up Empire awards.

Bloom, who played Legolas, was given the prize for best debut, while Wood, who starred as Frodo Baggins, was named best actor.

Ewan McGregor won the award for best British actor for his part in Moulin Rouge, while the man behind the flamboyant musical, Baz Luhrmann, was named best director.

Nicole Kidman completed the film's haul, with the best actress gong.

Bridget Jones' Diary was given the prize for best British film, while an "inspiration" award went to Ali director Michael Mann and an "independent spirit" honour went to The Others director Alejandro Amenabar.

The seventh Empire Awards were voted for by readers of Empire magazine, the UK's biggest-selling movie magazine.