Playwright Simon Stephens, who adapted Mark Haddon's best-selling novel, joked on stage: "It's a remarkable thing to win an award for popularity - normally people leave my plays in a state of terror!"

BBC: Sheridan Smith and Rupert Everett shine at theatre awards

His popularity with the fans was evidenced by winning the 2004 Enkalon Irish Motorcyclist of the Year Award, an accolade which is voted for by fans of all motorcycling disciplines.

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Initially the service was a minority interest, with just a handful of Ceefax-capable TVs in the UK, but it slowly started to gain popularity and the engineering team that developed the service was honoured with a Queen's Award for innovation.

BBC: Ceefax service closes down after 38 years on

Remarkably, despite the popularity of the genre, it was only the second western ever to win the best picture award.

BBC: NEWS | Entertainment | Oscars 2003