"So, where was I?" And so Ricky Gervais returned to the 69th Golden Globes to joke about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Helen Mirren and Kim Kardashian. "You get Britain's biggest comedian hosting the world's second biggest awards show on America's third biggest network," he grinned, before going to give one of the gentler speeches of his career. He didn't mention Mel Gibson once (apart from when reading out the rules give to him by the HFPA) - and even had to turn to Jodie Foster's beaver for gags.

It was a pretty tame monologue for a fairly predictable awards ceremony, with the Golden Globes giving out gongs to George Clooney - and George Clooney - in their usual fashion. But The Artist emerged as the frontrunner, taking home three prizes: Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (and his amazing eyebrows), Best Score for Ludovic Bource and Best Motion Picture: Comedy or Musical. The Descendants dominated the dramatic awards, with Clooney nabbing Best Actor and Alexander Payne's film also awarded Best Motion Picture: Drama.

The rest of the evening was largely as expected, with Meryl Streep winning Best Actress for The Iron Lady and Michelle Williams crowned Best Comedy Actress for My Week with Marilyn (if ever there were a reason to have that drama/comedy divide, Williams' performance is it). 

Surprises came in the form of Best Animated Film, with Speilberg's Tintin topping Rango to take home the Globe, and Best Director, which went to Martin Scorsese for Hugo. A Separation was correctly hailed as Best Foreign Film and the delightful Midnight in Paris won Best Screenplay - two awards the Oscars will undoubtedly repeat - but will the Academy Awards follow suit and give Hugo's helmer the prize?

More importantly for Jessica Chastain fans (i.e. everyone), can Octavia Spencer beat her to Best Supporting Actress next time round? I hope not, although it'd be nice to see Christopher Plummer repeat his Supporting Actor victory - I still don't get this fuss over Albert Brooks in Drive. 

As always, the correlation between the two ceremonies is pretty haphazard. But one thing we know for sure? Johnny Depp hasn't seen The Tourist. Because Ricky Gervais asked him, right at the end of his speech.

Read on for the full list of winners - and to watch Ricky's opening.

Best Picture, Drama

The Descendants

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy 

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids
Midnight In Paris
My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor, Drama

George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonard DiCaprio, J Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides Of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress, Drama

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris
George Clooney, The Ides Of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy

Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy

Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Foreign Language Picture

The Flowers of War
In the Land Of Blood And Honey
The Kid With A Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Best Animated Picture

The Adventures Of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss In Boots
Rango

Best Screenplay

Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris
George Clooney, Grand Heslov
Beau Willimon, The Ides Of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxwon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Best Score 

Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song

Hello Hello (music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin), Gnomeo & Juliet
The Keeper (music and lyrics by Chris Cornell) Machine Gun Preacher
Lay Your Head Down (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close), Albert Nobbs
The Living Proof (music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas), The Help 
Masterpiece (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), W.E.