Emma Watson and Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown pick up first gender-neutral actor awards

Watson called the new MTV awards "very meaningful".

"The first acting award in history that doesn't separate nominees based on their sex says something about how we perceive the human experience," she said.

"MTV's move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone, but to me it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and that doesn't need to be separated into two different categories."

She added that her character in Beauty and the Beast was an example of someone looking beyond the boundaries others had tried to impose on her.

"I think I’m being given this award because of who Belle is and what she represents.

"The villagers in our fairytale wanted to make Belle believe the world was smaller than the way that she saw it, with fewer opportunities for her. I love playing someone who didn’t listen to any of that."

Fellow Brit Millie Bobby Brown accepted her gender-neutral award for Best Actor in a Show, thanks to her mesmerising turn as the enigmatic and powerful young girl known only as Eleven in Netflix hit Stranger Things.

She ended an emotional speech by thanking the show's creators the Duffer Brothers for her "badass" character.

"They have created a badass, female, iconic character that I've got the honour to play."

Full list of winners

Movie of the Year – Beauty And The Beast

Best Actor in a Movie – Emma Watson, Beauty and the Beast

Show of the Year – Stranger Things

Best Actor in a Show – Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things

Best Kiss – Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome, Moonlight

Best Villain – Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead

Best Host – Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

Best Documentary – 13TH

Best Reality Competition – RuPaul's Drag Race

Best Comedic Performance – Lil Rel Howery, Get Out

Best Hero – Taraji P Henson, Hidden Figures

Tearjerker – This Is Us, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Randall (Lonnie Chavis) at karate

Next Generation – Daniel Kaluuya

Best Duo – Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen, Logan

Best American Story – Blackish

Best Fight Against the System – Hidden Figures

Trending – Run The World (Girls), Channing Tatum and Beyonce, Lip Sync Battle

Best Musical Moment – You're The One That I Want, Grease: Live