Daniel, 39, beat Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean and Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed to the title in the Empire Film Awards.

Casino Royale, the movie which saw the first blond Bond wow critics and audiences alike for his gritty Bond debut, was named Best Film.

The gong is good news for Dan, after he went away empty-handed from the Baftas despite making history by being the first 007 to be nominated.

French actress Eva Green, 26, was named Best Female Newcomer for her role as Bond’s Vesper Lynd, while Superman Returns star Brandon Routh, 27, took Best Male Newcomer.

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, 32, won the Best Actress gong for her role in Volver, pipping Oscar-winner Dame Helen Mirren, 61, for The Queen.

United 93, the harrowing story directed by Paul Greengrass of the only plane hijacked on September 11, 2001, not to reach its target, was named Best British Film.

British director Christopher Nolan took the award for Best Director for The Prestige, the story of rival magicians.

Pan’s Labyrinth, set in Franco’s Spain, and the comedy Little Miss Sunshine also won awards.

Over 50,000 people voted for the awards organised by film magazine Empire.

Bond and the Queen up for Bafta - Jan 12 2007
It’s the final nail in the coffin for Daniel Craig’s detractors - the new 007 has been nominated for a best actor Bafta for his role as James Bond in Casino Royale.

The actor faces competition from Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed, Richard Griffiths for The History Boys, Forest Whitaker for The Last King Of Scotland and veteran star Peter O’Toole for Venus.

Casino Royale has been nominated in nine categories, including outstanding British film of the year.

The Queen tops the list with 10 nominations and is a contender for best film, while Dame Helen Mirren has received a best actress nomination for her performance, the latest in a string of awards nods for the role.

The other best film nominations are Babel, The Departed, The Last King Of Scotland, and Little Miss Sunshine.

United 93 and Volver, which had also been tipped for a Bafta, missed out on a nomination.

The other nominees for best actress are Dame Judi Dench for Notes On A Scandal, Kate Winslet for Little Children, Penelope Cruz for Volver and Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada.

Best director will go to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Babel, Martin Scorsese for The Departed, Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris for Little Miss Sunshine, Stephen Frears for The Queen or Paul Greengrass for United 93.

This year’s ceremony, which will be broadcast live on BBC One on February 11, will be held for the first time at the Royal Opera House.

007 tops pack in fantasy lover poll - Dec 4 2006
Women have revealed whom they fantasise about while in bed with their partners - James Bond star Daniel Craig and X Factor judge Simon Cowell.

They are more likely to think about TV’s badly-dressed Mr Nasty and the 007 star than hunks such as David Beckham and Brad Pitt.

Men fantasise about Wags (England football stars’ wives and girlfriends) when they are with their girlfriends in the bedroom.