The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards crowned Daniel Day-Lewis and Julie Christie king and queen of the acting world on Sunday [Jan 27] and positioned the pair at the forefront of the race for the lead actor Oscars next month.

The jovial ceremony at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center bore no ill-effects from the ongoing writers strike, although the actors didn't miss an opportunity to recognise their comrades in the Writers Guild Of America through the occasional acceptance speech and at one point WGA West president Patric Verrone was even asked to stand up in the audience and take a bow..

Day-Lewis won the male lead actor statuette for his performance as a ruthless oil baron in There Will Be Blood, while Christie walked away with the female lead actor trophy for her role as a woman suffering from Alzheimer's in Away From Her.

Javier Bardem took the supporting male actor prize for his portrayal as the sociopathic Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men and Ruby Dee won the corresponding supporting female actor award after playing Denzel Washington's character's mother in American Gangster.

The cast of No Country For Old Men won the ensemble cast prize. Charles Durning received the 44th Annual Life Achievement Award.

Full list of winners:

Theatrical motion pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Julie Christie, Away From Her

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
No Country For Old Men
Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Macdonald

Primetime Television

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Kline, As You Like It

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Queen Latifah, Life Support

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Sopranos
Gregory Antonacci, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Dan Grimaldi, Robert Iler, Michael Imperioli, Arthur Nascarella, Steven R Schirripa, Matt Servitto, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, Aida Turturro, Steven Van Zandt, Frank Vincent

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Office
Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, Kate Flannery, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, John Krasinski, Paul Lieberstein, BJ Novak, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Rainn Wilson

SAG Honours for stunt ensembles

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24 (FOX)