British actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, made his country proud last night as he scooped best 'Actor In A Leading Role' for his role in There Will Be Blood. Daniel's performance as a ruthless Californian oilman, saw him rise above his other nominee's George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Tommy Lee Jones and Viggo Mortensen. As Daniel took to the stage he wasted no time in honoring 'Queen' actress Helen Mirren, as she presented the golden statue he quickly made the star blush, as he announced "and that's the closest I'll ever come to getting a knighthood, so thank you." He added further:

My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town. I'm looking at this gorgeous thing you've given me and I'm thinking back to the first devilish whisper of an idea that came to him and everything since and it seems to me that this sprang like a golden sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson. I wish my son and my partner HW Plainview were up here with me, the mighty Dillon Freasier. So many people to thank. One amongst them would be Mrs. Plainview down there, the enchantingly optimistic, open-minded and beautiful Rebecca Miller. I hope that all those to whom I owe and to whom I feel the deepest gratitude will forgive me if I say just simply, "Thank you, Paul." I've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this, and I'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather, Michael Balcon, my father, Cecil Day-Lewis, and my three fine boys, Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you."