Samantha Morton, Ruth Wilson and Meera Syal have celebrated “the sisterhood” at the Women in Film & TV Awards.
The glitzy event, in which children’s TV presenter Floella Benjamin was honoured with a lifetime achievement gong, was hosted by Sandi Toksvig.
Claudia Winkleman, Emily Watson and comic Katherine Ryan were also at the ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
The Walking Dead star Morton, who won a best performance award, called for more change at the “grassroots”.
But she said: “It’s exciting that women have done this and got together. It’s an opportunity to celebrate each other.”
Syal said she was at the event “to show support for the sisterhood”.
“There is a very old, creaky system of privilege that is gradually breaking down,” she said.
But she added: “You still get 60-year-old men being cast with 30-year-old girlfriends – that hasn’t changed, has it?!”
Strictly Come Dancing host Winkleman won a presenter award, while Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee received a screenwriting award.
Laurie Nunn, writer and creator of Sex Education, won a new talent award.
Other winners included Coronation Street star Cherylee Houston, who got the ITV Studios Achievement of The Year Award, and BBC Europe editor Katya Adler, who took home the BBC News and Factual Award.