Last year actors from television and film sashayed down the red carpet in Los Angeles for the annual star-studded Golden Globes.

But this year the normally glitzy event was deflated to a dry press conference where the announcement of award winners was made by entertainment reporters.

Actors and film-makers stayed away from the awards because of a two-month-old strike by the Writers' Guild of America, who had threatened to picket outside the show.

This prompted the Golden Globes organisers and NBC to cancel the three-hour glamorous bash in favour of a news conference.

The strike over payment to writers from shows offered on the internet started in November and has led to the Writers' Guild refusing to let union members work on star-studded shows.

British film Atonement, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and up-and-coming Irish star Saoirse Ronan, was honoured at the toned-down ceremony.

Saoirse (13) was nominated for best supporting actress, but saw the Globe go to Cate Blanchett for the Bob Dylan tale I'm Not There. She can be seen on the big screen soon in the Tom Hanks movie City of Ember, filmed in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast last summer.

Atonement, the adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel, took Best Motion Picture.

Tim Burton's new movie, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, in which Coleraine actress Jayne Wisener makes her big screen debut, picked up two awards.

It won Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) while its star Johnny Depp was named Best Actor for his role as the murderous barber.

Jayne was performing in a music theatre for Youth production in Londonderry when she was signed up by the casting director of Sweeney Todd.

She auditioned for the role of Todd's missing daughter in front of director Tim Burton and was delighted when she landed the role - her first in a movie.

But it wasn't such good news for another Coleraine actor.

James Nesbitt missed out on a gong for Best Actor (TV drama) for his role in Jekyll. Nesbitt stayed away from Los Angeles and attended the Lyric Theatre's final curtain call instead.