Hannibal... the musical? Sir Anthony wins a Classic Brit Award for his last waltz

Actor 'knocked out' after sharing best album prize

Anthony Hopkins at the Classical Brit Awards last night (Getty Images)

His mantelpiece must already be groaning under the countless awards – including a Best Actor Oscar and three Baftas – that he has been handed over his long career in Hollywood. And Sir Anthony Hopkins now has another gong to add to his collection.

But his latest acquisition does not honour him for his indisputable acting skills. Instead, the 74-year-old was marked out for his composing, when he shared in the award for Album of the Year at the Classic Brits.

The man best known for playing Hannibal Lecter composed a waltz for the Dutch violinist André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Sir Anthony, who has written music for many years, said he was "knocked out" that Rieu had included "And the waltz goes on" as the title track on the album.

His previous composing work includes a piece called "The Masque of Time" premiered by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2008 and a single, called "Distant Star", which peaked at No 75 in the UK singles chart in 1986.

Benjamin Grosvenor, a former child prodigy pianist from Essex, hailed internationally for his electrifying performances, became the youngest male winner at the Classic Brit awards. Grosvenor, 20, beat the conductors Sir Simon Rattle and Jiri Belohlávek to take the Critics' Award at the ceremony in the Royal Albert Hall.

The pianist, from Southend, won the keyboard section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2004. Last summer he became the youngest soloist to perform at the BBC Proms opening night, where he played Liszt's Second Piano Concerto.

Described by The New York Times as "a formidable technician and a thoughtful, coolly assured interpreter", Grosvenor claimed two prizes at the 2012 Gramophone Awards. He was honoured at the Brits for his album Chopin/Liszt/Ravel, the first by a British pianist on the Decca label for 60 years.

Raised in a semi-detached house in Southend, Grosvenor is the son of a piano-teaching mother and a father who teaches English and drama. He began studying piano under his mother Rebecca's tutelage, aged six, and went to Westcliff High School for Boys, a selective grammar school. He was accepted for a degree course by the Royal Academy of Music and at his graduation this year, he received the Queen's Award for Excellence for the best all-round student of the year.

Grosvenor, who kept a lesson appointment with his teacher before accepting his award, said: "It's so wonderful to be recognised for the album because so much work goes into the recording. It's true that the average member of my audiences is still quite elderly but hopefully more young people will come along to my concerts."

Nicola Benedetti, another UK star, won the Best Female category. The violinist, 25, was recognised for Italia, her first album of baroque recordings.

The Classic Brits also gave its first ever Single of the Year award to The Military Wives Choir with Gareth Malone, whose "Wherever You Are" beat the X Factor entry to take the Christmas No 1 slot last year.

John Williams, the composer who provided the famous themes for blockbusters including Jaws and ET, and the Star Wars, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones sagas, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The event will be broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday.