Masked heavy metallers Slipknot stole the show at this year's Kerrang! awards, walking away with two prizes.

Double winners: Slipknot stole the show

Welsh rockers Bullet For My Valentine won the Best British Act award for the second year in a row, while veteran noise merchants Metallica took the Best Album gong for Death Magnetic.

Slipknot, whose frontman Corey Taylor hosted the ceremony at London's Brewery venue, took the awards for Best International Band and Best Live Band.

Gallery: Kerrang! Awards 2009

Taylor said: "It feels really gratifying. If there was ever a band that had to fight against controversy and misconception it was this band, and we're really starting to kind of get to the point where the respect is getting there - and rightly so."

He paid tribute to the band's fans - known affectionately as the "maggots".

"It feels really good to be where we're at right now," he said.

"And if I could, I would call every one of the maggots and personally thank them - but, I don't have a great long distance (telephone) plan though!"

It wasn't just Slipknot that were keen to spread the love at the event. All Saints singer Natalie Appleton even wore a romantic T-shirt message for her husband Liam Howlett, of The Prodigy.

Spreading the love: Natalie Appleton

Kerrang! readers voted for eight of the 13 awards, giving Best Single to The Prodigy for Omen, Best British Newcomer to In Case of Fire and Best Video to Mastodon for Oblivion.

Bullet For My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck accepted the band's second Best British Act award with a video message.

"We'd like to thank Kerrang! for giving us this award twice on the trot which is awesome," he said.

"Thanks to all our fans all around the world who voted for us."

Californian rockers Limp Bizkit were inducted into the Kerrang! hall of fame, while Machine Head won the Inspiration award and north-east punks The Wildhearts took the Spirit Of Independence Award.

Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan said: "Once again the Kerrang! awards has proved itself the most rock 'n' roll event in the calendar.

"And the stellar list of winners this year is a great tribute to our readers' impeccable taste. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. Here's to going one louder in 2010!"