By Chris Leggett BBC News entertainment reporter

Coldplay topped the US Billboard 200 chart with third album X&Y

Last year, 11 of the 12 main awards went to stars from the US with rockers Muse the only UK act to win a prize.

This year, UK acts took five prizes, with US performers notching six and Colombia's Shakira taking the best female prize.

Coldplay took home two awards, although one was best UK and Ireland act, while Robbie Williams, Gorillaz, James Blunt and the Chemical Brothers all won a prize each.

But newer British stars had a disappointing night at the event, which is decided by a public vote.

Guitar band Franz Ferdinand, who were last year nominated for three awards but won none, again lost out as US punk band Green Day took the best rock act prize.

Bloc Party missed out to System of a Down while Kaiser Chiefs were unsuccessful in the best new act category, although it did go to fellow Brit James Blunt.

No decline

Martin Talbot, editor of industry publication Music Week, attended the awards ceremony in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Mr Talbot says the event was "spectacular" but he is not convinced by talk of a UK music comeback.

Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm came out in February

"British music is no more back on top of the tree than it was dead and buried last year," he says.

"These awards are part of the ebb and flow of the business.

"One of the main things to come out of the show was that when it comes to battling on the international stage, there are only two markets that compete on a consistent basis - the US and the UK.

"It says a lot about the enduring popularity of British music that the main winners were either British or American."

Mr Talbot insists new British acts are making an impact on the international market.

"It doesn't tend to happen overnight for bands like the Kaiser Chiefs," he said.

"But then again, in the hall, the two people to get the biggest roars were for Robbie Williams and James Blunt, who nobody knew six months ago."

Future success

Other pundits are less convinced that the MTV Europe awards are a barometer of success.

Paul Rees, editor of Q magazine, says the awards are "a glamour and glitz event".

Green Day's recent album American Idiot tackled the US "war on terror"

"I'm not sure they validate anybody musically," he says.

"Green Day's success means you can't really say it was solely the UK's night.

"There's been some great records to come out of the UK this year but acts like the Kaiser Chiefs have not really done much beyond our shores.

"Newer acts like Keane are due to return with second albums in the next year so more could join Coldplay and Gorillaz although not all of them can have the same success."

Caroline Sullivan, music writer for the Guardian, says the MTV prizes are "celebrity awards rather than music awards".

"People are voting for the personalities and people they like and know," she says.

Bygone era

"British music seems to be fertile with melody-based acts, which tend to sell well, like Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo Park, but they seem to lack really strong frontmen.

"Most people haven't got any idea what the singer of new acts like Hard-Fi look like but these acts are getting strong fanbases."

Robbie Williams released sixth studio solo album Intensive Care last month

Emmanuel Legrand, who edits US magazine Billboard's coverage of the world market, says the awards confirm that Coldplay, Gorillaz and Robbie Williams are big hitters internationally.

"It doesn't compare to the Beatles and the Stones, or the bands of the early 1980s, but Britain has a tendency to self-pity," he says.

"There are a lot of artists who like Coldplay who might not sell as much as Eminem in the US but are in the major league.

"The media coverage of the MTV Europe awards comes from lots of countries including China so a good performance there attracts interest from around the world.