What the judges said

Samantha Morton found favour with Malcolm, Christopher and myself, though Walker ignored her completely because he detested Morvern Callar.

Errigo made the point that there were so many great actresses here, "but where were the film roles for them this year?" She praised Shirley Henderson for her work in 24 Hour Party People, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, and also Lesley Manville for suffering superbly as Spall's wife in All or Nothing. Ultimately, though, she went for Zeta-Jones, who, she said, was "sensational" in Chicago, "so she's my first choice, to my amazement". Walker liked Jennifer Ehle for Possession and Zeta-Jones in Chicago, with a performance that "was absolutely remarkable". Christopher also loved Henderson and Morton but agreed that Zeta-Jones was number one.

Malcolm saw the writing on the wall but gamely delivered his verdict: "Catherine Zeta-Jones has won. That's it. Otherwise I would have gone for Lesley Manville, who has never, ever given a bad performance." As it turned out, Zeta-Jones snatched the award from Manville by just one point.

Best Screenplay

Errigo proposed the addition to our all-too-brief discussion list of Don Boyd and Nick Davies for My Kingdom, especially for providing Richard Harris with "a final epitaph of a performance. Good one, boys!"

Her clear winner was Lawless Heart by Tom Hunsinger and Neil Hunter. This set the tone for the debate.

I liked Steven Knight for Dirty Pretty Things and Boyd and Davies for My Kingdom but thought Lawless Heart was way ahead because "it is the strongest of the scripts, the strongest in origination and execution". Malcolm agreed on Lawless Heart and put Paul Laverty as his second choice for Sweet Sixteen "despite the 246 'f***s' in the script". Christopher threatened to burst into tears if Hunsinger and Hunter didn't win for Lawless Heart and Walker saved him the embarrassment by opting for them. A unanimous vote for Hunsinger and Hunter and Lawless Heart.

Peter Sellers Award for Best Comedy

Christopher kicked off a vibrant discussion by voting for Lost in La Mancha. "It is a tragedy but the greatest tragedies have the highest degree of comedy in them," he said. His number two was About a Boy, with Bend it Like Beckham bringing up the rear. Malcolm reversed the order by putting Bend it Like Beckham first and Lost in La Mancha second because he wasn't sure "whether it's a comedy at all".

My own view was that Lost in La Mancha shouldn't win because the comedy award "ought to be for something that was intended to be a comedy". I put Bend it Like Beckham at number one, About a Boy in second place and Lost in La Mancha at three.

Errigo confused things even further by speculating on instituting a Best Documentary category for Lost in La Mancha and then making About a Boy her number one - "Even people who don't like Hugh Grant had to admit that he was very good."

It was left to Walker to persuade the doubters that Lost in La Mancha was the most deserving winner. "Life is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those who feel," he quoted. "This is a comedy. It may not be a comedy in terms of The Jerk but it is there and I have to give it number one."

It was enough. When the votes were cast, Lost in La Mancha won, which moved Christopher to reflect: "I think that's a rather brilliant award actually, in a way."

Most Promising Newcomer

This was without doubt the easiest winner to decide. The name on everyone's lips for first place was Asif Kapadia, the young director of The Warrior.

While honourable mentions went to the young actor Martin Compston for Sweet Sixteen and Parminder Nagra for Bend it Like Beckham, this was a one-horse race from the off. Malcolm put The Warrior in perspective: "Wins four or five festival prizes all over the world, wins an enormous amount of publicity and the film is seen by about three people. Extraordinary, quite extraordinary."

I heartily endorsed his view: "I think Kapadia is going to go on to become a seriously important international film-maker."

Errigo praised Compston but had a "huge problem giving juvenile performers awards". She went for Kapadia. Walker and Christopher gave the same verdicts. "Talk over," said the Editor. And so it was. Kapadia walked it.

Technical Achievement

Walker returned to Possession and cited the challenge of "putting together two films that break up the linear pattern of the narrative." Similarly Lawless Heart, in which the story is "rewound twice". He voted Claire Simpson number one for her editing of Possession and Scott Thomas second for his editing of Lawless Heart. His third was Eve Stewart for her discreet production design of All or Nothing.

Christopher particularly liked cinematographer Chris Menges's work on Dirty Pretty Things and Stewart's design for All or Nothing. His number one was Thomas for editing Lawless Heart. Malcolm only had two candidates and favoured Eve Stewart because "It's actually just as difficult to do this kind of film as the most amazing costume drama."

I agreed with Malcolm about Stewart: "For that sort of courage to be anonymous as a designer she has to be number one." Errigo was persuaded by the arguments to alter her choice that would have placed Scott Thomas first. She came round to the idea of including Stewart but kept her in third place.

It appeared that Thomas had won but this provoked further argument. Errigo was in a pickle and moved Stewart up a notch. Walker suggested a joint award, an idea that the Editor strangled at birth. Tempers started to fray and jurors started weighing their bread rolls like grenades.

I suggested we recast our votes with just the two disputed candidates, Stewart and Thomas. Stewart won.

Special Award

We had all calmed down by the time it came to decide on this optional award. There was strangely little to debate. It was clear that one candidate stood out - a British franchise that had not only endured but thrived for four decades. Beyond all else, it had become a British film institution that has entertained audiences en masse across the globe.

For 40 glorious years of the James Bond movie, the Special Award was given to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson. Walker declared: "It would be a justifiable ending for the awards to say that here are two people who have stayed fixed to Britain, who have made most of the films in Britain, have established James Bond as the leading Anglo-Saxon secret agent and who have managed against all the events of the world to promote a fantasy that is both entertaining and innocuous."

We sat in silent contemplation of these weighty words. Finally, I broke the silence. "We don't have many British film institutions that are still alive; they're mostly dead. The Carry On films, Hammer Films, these are institutions that no longer exist. Bond films still exist. They're continuing." Long live 007.

The Evening Standard British Film Awards ceremony will be screened on Carlton Television at 11.30pm on Wednesday.