Winners for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced Sunday evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

First-time winners ruled the roost on awards night, with rookies like Homeland, Enlightened and American Horror Story taking home statuettes and in film, Woody Allen triumphed over awards favorites.

The first Globe of the night went to Christopher Plummer of Beginners for best supporting actor in a feature film, after Gerard Butler and Mila Kunis presented.

For best actress in a TV comedy series, the second award of the night, Ashton Kutcher and Elle Macpherson presented the award to Laura Dern of Enlightened, beating out the likes of Zooey Deschanel, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The win marked Dern's third Globe win and fifth nomination.

After teleprompter troubles, Rob Lowe and Julianne Moore presented the TV miniseries/movie award to PBS' Downton Abbey. "How fabulous this is!," creator Julian Fellowes said during his acceptance speech. "I thank the audience. It's the audience that make the success." Actress in a TV miniseries/movie went to Emmy Award winner Kate Winslet, also a Globe nominee for Carnage, for her role in HBO's Mildred Piece.

"We're already five minutes over," Gervais joked just 35 minutes into the telecast before introducing Melissa McCarthy and Paula Patton, presenting best actor in a TV drama series to Kelsey Grammer for Starz's Boss.

Best TV drama series went to Showtime's rookie show Homeland, beating out Boardwalk Empire, American Horror Story, Boss and Game of Thrones.

Trotting out their NBC talent throughout the telecast, Jimmy Fallon and The Voice coach Adam Levine took the stage to announce the winner for best original score in a motion picture, going to first-timer Ludovic Bource for The Artist. "It would be a tapdance number," the Frenchman said during his acceptance speech of what the moment would be like if he wrote the score.

The Globe for best original song in a motion picture went to Madonna for W.E.'s "Masterpiece." "This is a surprise," Madonna said onstage, calling Harvey Weinstein, whose Weinstein Co. is distributing her film, "the punisher."

Smash co-stars Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing presented the Globe for Idris Elba of BBC America's Luther for actor in a TV miniseries/movie, his first win. Nominee Brad Pitt presented The Ides of March, directed by Pitt's good friend George Clooney -- one of the five films nominated in the best motion picture drama category. Later during the night, Clooney introduced Pitt's film Moneyball.

"Hi, I'm Seth Rogen and I'm trying to [hide] a massive erection," Rogen said standing next to presenter Kate Beckinsale as they announced the actress in a motion picture comedy or musical Globe to Michelle Williams of My Week With Marilyn -- after Rogen made a joke at Marilyn's expense.

The prize for supporting actor in a TV series/miniseries/movie went to Peter Dinklage for Game of Thrones. Dinklage won the Emmy last year for the role. "Have fun, but .. Guy Pearce is really good," Dinklage said onstage of a conversation he had with his mother prior to heading out to the show. (Pearce lost to Dinklage.)

Channing Tatum and Jessica Alba presented the animated feature film award to The Adventures of Tintin, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson.

The best screenplay prize went to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, knocking off awards hopefuls The Artist and The Descendants.

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, singing their introduction for one of the night's genuine highlights, presented supporting actress in a TV series/miniseries/movie to Jessica Lange for American Horror Story.

Presenting one of the films nominated for best motion picture, Hugo, Johnny Depp riffed with returning host Ricky Gervais. "Have you seen The Tourist yet?," Gervais asked Depp, to which Depp responded. "Uh, no."

"If I'm still just like a virgin, Ricky, then why don't you get over here and do something about it?," Madonna, presenting best foreign language film, said onstage after Gervais made a quip about her. The award went to Iran's A Separation, a frontrunner for the Oscar.

Dustin Hoffman, star of HBO's Luck, presented the best actress in a TV drama award to Homeland's Claire Danes, who won the award first when she was 15 for My So-Called Life. Danes' win was the second Globe of the night for the Showtime series.

Best actor in a TV comedy series, presented by Tina Fey and Jane Lynch, went to Matt LeBlanc for Episodes, continuing Showtime's big night.

Supporting actress in a motion picture went to The Help's Octavia Spencer. "This is seriously nuts," Spencer said onstage as she accepted the Globe.

After Sidney Poitier and Helen Mirren presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Morgan Freeman made a point to pay tribute to the two. "Watching you handle a gun let's me know never to piss you off," Freeman said to Mirren of R.E.D. and admitting that in his house, the honor is known as the Sidney Poitier Award.

Gervais returned to host the Globes, broadcast on NBC live coast-to-coast beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, for the second year in a row. "So where was I? Nervous, don't be. This isn't about you," Gervais said to open the awards show, taking jabs at struggling network NBC and Kim Kardashian.

COMPLETE LIST

Motion Picture, Drama: The Descendants

Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: George Clooney, The Descendants

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical: The Artist

Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Jean DuJardin, The Artist

TV Series, Comedy or Musical: Modern Family

Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Actor, TV Series Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Actress in a TV Series, Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland

Foreign Language Film: A Separation, Iran

Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Screenplay, Motion Picture: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Animated Feature Film: The Adventures of Tintin

Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther

TV Series, Drama: Homeland

Original Song, Motion Picture: "Masterpiece," Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry

Original Score, Motion Picture: The Artist, Ludovic Bource

Actor in a TV Series, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

TV Movie or Miniseries: Downton Abbey

Actress in a TV Series, Comedy:  Laura Dern, Enlightened

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Christopher Plummer, Beginners