Twelve-year-old Freddie Highmore pipped Sienna Miller to the best newcomer prize at the Empire Awards. The schoolboy was nominated for his role in Finding Neverland as the little boy who inspired J M Barrie to write Peter Pan.

Sienna, 23, was nominated for her performance opposite Jude Law in the remake of Alfie, during which the two became a couple.

The awards were based on the votes of 12,000 Empire magazine readers and handed out by Johnny Vaughan at the Guildhall in London. The ceremony will be broadcast on Five on Tuesday.

Quentin Tarantino, director of Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, was named Icon of the Decade, while Kate Winslet triumphed over Imelda Staunton and Keira Knightley to the Best British Actress prize for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead was named best British film and Claudia Schiffer's husband Matthew Vaughn won Best British Director for London-based gangster movie Layer Cake.

After accepting his award, Quentin Tarantino announced he plans to retire in 15 years to become a cinema manager. The 41-year-old director thanked British moviegoers for watching his films, saying, “The fact that England has embraced me as one of its own is really cool. There's just no other word for it - it's really cool.

“I'm not going to be this old guy that keeps cranking them out," he added. "I think I've got another 15 more years to kick ass then after that I'm out of it. My plan is to have a theatre by that time in some small town and I will be the manager - this crazy old movie guy.

“I've made enough money that nobody even needs to show up at the theatre. It's just having something to do. I will make little speeches before each movie. That sounds like a pretty cool life.”

Matt Damon won Best Actor for The Bourne Supremacy, and told the audience it was the first best actor award he had received. The star picked up an Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting but had never received an award for acting.

Full list of winners:

Best Newcomer: Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland)

Best British Actress: Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)

Best British Actor: Paddy Considine (Dead Man's Shoes)

Best British Director: Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)

Best British Film: Shaun of the Dead

Sony Ericsson scene of the year: the hot air balloon sequence in Enduring Love

Best Actress: Julie Delpy (Before Sunset)

Best Actor: Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy)

Best Director: Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 2)

Best Film: The Bourne Supremacy

Independent Spirit Award: Kevin Smith

Empire Inspiration Award: Brad Bird (The Incredibles)

Outstanding contribution to British cinema: Working Title

Icon of the Decade: Quentin Tarantino