James McAvoy can't hold back the tears as he's awarded Best Actor at British Independent Film Awards

He played a homophobic, racist, sexist police officer in a role that saw him pile on a few pounds to look permanently hung over.
But despite the fact such a character sounds hard to like, the part in the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel, Filth, scooped James McAvoy the best actor gong at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) on Sunday evening, as he and his fellow Scots swept the board.
Glasgow-born McAvoy, 34, couldn't hide his emotion as he took the coveted prize for his role as Bruce 'Robbo' Robertson, beating rivals Tom Hardy and Steeve Coogan, saying: 'It's like Scotland's won the World Cup.'

Emotional: James McAvoy cries as he receives the award for Best Actor at the Moet British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate Market on Sunday

Fellow Scots to take home prizes included rising star, Chloe Pirrie, 26, named the most promising newcomer for her role in Shell, about a
young woman who lives with her father in the Highlands
Accepting her award, the Edinburgh actress thanked her co-stars, saying: ‘I want to list the cast but I can't do that.’
Fife-born Paul Wright was named best debut director with For Those In Peril and Edinburgh-born Lindsay Duncan, 63, saw off competition from Dame Judi Dench, Scarlett Johansson, Felicity Jones and Saoirse Ronan to win best actress for her role in Le Week-End at the event, celebrating independent cinema.

Impressive: James won the award for his role in Filth, which sees him play a nasty character

Proud: James raised the trophy in the air after making his speech

Leading man: James beat off rivals Tom Hardy and Steeve Coogan to win the award

Meanwhile, Australian Ben Mendelsohn won best supporting actor for his role in prison drama Starred Up, directed by Scot David Mackenzie.
Filth, which was filmed in Edinburgh, tells of Robertson's battles to solve a murder and secure a promotion - while also attempting to ruin the reputations of his colleagues.
McAvoy previously said: 'It (was) a hard film to get financed and a hard film to make everybody love. It is not easy to make a really, really good film about a homophobic, racist, sexist and misogynist guy.'

Passing on the baton: Actors Craig Roberts and Joanna Froggatt present the award for Most Promising Newcomer

Wild thing: Imogen Poots accepts the award for Best Supporting Actress with messy hair

Big moment: Julie Walters receives the Richard Harris Award for her contribution to cinema

She's in for a big night: Julie carried a large bottle of champagne with her name on

And asked about how he prepared for the role, he said: 'I don't know how much weight I put on. I just drank too much whisky and ate a lot of fast food - chips, burgers hot dogs and fried everything.
'I ate chips with my breakfast every day. I didn't exercise either and it changed the way my face looked - hung over all the time.'
On Sunday evening , Irvine Welsh tweeted: ‘Delighted for James McAvoy winning best actor at the BIFA film awards. I know I'm biased but if anybody ever deserved it, he did. Delighted for James's family back in Scotland, a really lovely bunch of people. They'll be absolutely chuffed to bits.’

Handsome chaps: Sam Reid (L) and Douglas Booth present the award for Best British Short film

Best of the young crop: Nathan Stewart Jarrett (L) and Harry Treadaway present the award for Best Achievement in Production

Congrats: Hayley Atwell, James McAvoy with the Best Actor Award and Lesley Manville pose up for picture

A rose between two hunks: Mark Strong, Lindsay Duncan Winner of the Best Actress and Dominic Cooper have a snap together

Julie Walters, 63, was also honoured for her outstanding contribution to British film by being handed the Richard Harris award.
Accepting her award, she said she had once starred with Harris in a film called Mack The Knife which was described in a review as a 'turd of a movie'.
She said: 'I have to say that his wit, his fabulous wit and wisdom and his Albert Hall size knowledge of just about most things and his sense of fun and irreverence turned that piece of something into gold dust for me'.