Christian Bale accepts the Favorite Action Movie award for 'The Dark Knight' at the 35th Annual People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, 07 Jan 2009

The Hollywood blockbuster feature film The Dark Knight received five awards during the 35th annual People's Choice Awards Wednesday in Los Angeles, California.  

The latest on-screen adaptation of the comic book superhero Batman won for Best Movie, Best Action Movie, and Favorite Cast. British actor Christian Bale, who stars as Batman, won for Best Superhero. Bale also shared the on-screen pairing trophy with the late Australian star Heath Ledger, who starred as the villainous Joker.  

Ledger died last February at the age of 28 of an accidental drug overdose.

Also in the motion picture category, The Secret Life of Bees won for Best Drama and Best Independent Movie.  

In the television category, British actor Hugh Laurie was named Best Male Star for his role in the medical drama House, which won for Best Drama.

The People's Choice Awards are given to a cross-section of the U.S. entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, and music. The winners are voted on by fans who cast their ballots over the Internet.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.