U2's 'The Hands That Built America' triumphed at The Golden Globe awards in Hollywood last night.

The song, written at the invitation of director Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York, was awarded best original song in a motion picture ­ beating off competition from Madonna (Die Another Day) and Eminem (Lose Yourself).

'This is really, really f---ing brilliant,' Bono enthused, as he and Edge picked up the award.

'This was a real, real thrill for us,' he later told reporters backstage, paying tribute to director Scorsese, and joking that, as an Irishman, he was annoyed that it had taken an Italian to make the story of the Irish immigrants who settled in New York.

Scorsese himself won the award for best director for Gangs of New York, a sprawling, violent drama about 19th-century bloodshed in Lower Manhattan < a project that he struggled to bring to the screen for more than 30 years. 'Maybe a dream come true is a cliché because it's true,' he said. 'But it really is.'

'What Martin Scorsese is about is truth over romance,' added Bono 'And that's why he deserves an award tonight.'

Other winners at The Golden Globes, which are seen as an indicator for the Oscars to be held in March, were the 'Chicago' and 'The Hours'.

Complete list of winners here
hfpa.org