The people behind the British film Slumdog Millionaire have become veterans of the Hollywood awards season this year, attending numerous gala events and collecting various honours for the rags-to-riches romance set in Mumbai.

But while the film’s director, writer and musicians have won awards, the Slumdog cast – young British actor Dev Patel, Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, newcomer Freida Pinto, and a host of relatively unknown Indian child actors – had until today gone unrecognised.

So when the actors were acknowledged by their Hollywood peers and named best ensemble cast at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, their surprise was obvious.

Pinto and Patel stared wide-eyed in disbelief as their names were read out instead of their fellow nominees, a who’s who of Hollywood stars including Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn and Meryl Streep.

Leading the cast onstage to collect their SAG awards as the room stood to applaud them, Kapoor said: “It was already enough to be nominated. To win this is unbelievable."

He went on to thank director Danny Boyle, before dedicating the award to Slumdog’s young child stars, who remained back home in India. "They deserve this award. It is the children that have done it, not us. This is on behalf of the children," Kapoor said, as Patel and Pinto embraced with excitement.

The ensemble award for the 11 cast members was the first acting honours for Slumdog, which has dominated the awards season, collecting 10 Oscar nominations. The film is tipped to win best picture at the Academy Awards next month.

Also a firm favourite for the Oscars is Kate Winslet, who collected a best supporting actress SAG award for her role as a former concentration camp guard in The Reader. The British actor, already the recipient this season of two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination, said it had been a “remarkable year” for film.

"What a year it has been. It is really an honour to be included in such a remarkable year and [to] be acknowledged by my peers in this way,” said Winslet, who was dressed in a figure-hugging royal blue gown. "I really feel like everybody should be given a medal. I'm a little bit lost for words, I'm sorry."

The awards are voted on by guild members and honour acting in film and television.

Hugh Laurie won his second straight SAG award for best actor in a TV show for his portrayal of the cranky doctor in the US TV show House. The former Blackadder star joked that he was disappointed one of his fellow nominees did not win. “I actually had a hundred dollars on James Spader (of Boston Legal),” the Briton said. “This is just not my night.”

Other awards went to Meryl Streep, named best actress for her role as a nun in Doubt, and Sean Penn, awarded best actor for his portrayal of a gay rights activist in Milk.

The late Austrailan actor Heath Ledger was named best supporting actor for his chilling portrayal of the Joker in the Batman film The Dark Knight. Ledger’s award was accepted by his British co-star Gary Oldman, who said: “It is a great honour to be asked to accept this on behalf of Heath. He was an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honoured that talent tonight."

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