Sean Penn was named best actor for his lead role in Milk, a drama about California’s first openly gay elected politician Harvey Milk.

“At heart, this is a beauty contest so I had an advantage,” Penn joked as he received his award.

The actor was not so happy a year ago when his directing foray Into the Wild led the event with seven nominations but went home empty-handed. It was also ignored by the Oscars.

Milk also won the acting ensemble award. The film, along with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, led the field with eight nominations. Benjamin Button was snubbed, a blow for star Brad Pitt who was at the event with girlfriend Angelina Jolie, a best actress nominee for Changeling.

That award was a tie between Meryl Streep for her role as a nun in Doubt and Anne Hathaway for playing a drug-addicted woman taking center stage at her sister’s nuptials in Rachel Getting Married.

Late Australian actor Heath Ledger, considered a sure shot for an Oscar, received a standing ovation for his supporting turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, which was also named best action film.

The film’s director, Christopher Nolan, said Ledger would be “quietly proud” of his contribution to cinema.

British actress Kate Winslet, a five-time Oscar nominee, was named best supporting actress for playing a Nazi war criminal in The Reader. She was not at the event.

The awards show, which took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, was broadcast on cable channel VH1. The Broadcast Film Critics Association consists of about 200 television, radio and online critics in the United States and Canada.