Hollyoaks has scooped six trophies at the British Soap Awards, more than Coronation Street or EastEnders.
Chris Fountain and Emma Rigby won best actor and actress for the Channel 4 programme, with other wins including best on-screen partnership.
But EastEnders won four prizes, including best soap, with Coronation Street taking a total of five awards.
Liz Dawn, who played Vera Duckworth until her exit earlier this year, was given the lifetime achievement award.
Accepting her honour, she said: "I wish I was young again, I could do it all over again. It's only when you leave that you realise what a lovely life you've had. It's been fantastic."
Maggie Jones, another of the ITV soap's veteran actresses, won best comedy performance for her portrayal of Blanche Hunt.
The EastEnders cast celebrated their victory in the best soap category
Michelle Keegan, who recently arrived as Tina McIntyre in the show, was named best newcomer, while Rob James Collier, who plays Liam Connor, scooped sexiest male for the second successive year.
EastEnders' slow-burning storyline about Max Branning and Stacey Slater's affair scooped best storyline, with best dramatic performance for Jo Joyner, the actress who plays Max's wife Tanya.
Another Albert Square winner was actor Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown), who won best dramatic performance from a young actor or actress.
EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor, who plays Peggy Mitchell, said: "We actually came third in the number of awards and we're going to have to up our game. Hollyoaks is coming up and we will have to do better next year."
Hollyoaks' other awards included most spectacular scene of the year and best exit for Clare Cunningham, played by Gemma Bissix.
The actress has since rejoined EastEnders as Clare Tyler, a role she first played from 1993 to 1998.
Liz Dawn played Vera Duckworth for 34 years
Roxanne McKee, who plays Louise Kennedy in the Channel 4 show and was named sexiest female, said the show was finally getting the recognition it deserved.
"This year we have tackled anorexia, incest and I have been in a murder case," she said. "We tackle those issues in a 6.30pm slot which is very hard for the writers who do a brilliant job."
Emmerdale won two awards, including best single episode, which dealt with the sudden death of Ashley and Laurel's baby son Daniel.
BBC One's Doctors, the other soap eligible for the awards, failed to win any prizes.
The ceremony was held at BBC Television Centre in west London, and the winners were determined by a mixture of panel and viewer voting.
The British Soap Awards will be broadcast on ITV1 on Wednesday at 2000 BST.
yey go hollyoaks im really glad that they walked away with most of the awards as im sick of eastenders and coarantion street winning awards for storyline that arent half as good as hollyoaks and most of the time some episodes are really pointless in ee and c.s such as when dot sat for a whole half hour in the kitchen talking to jeasus what where they thinking
well done hollyoaks and also im really glad chris and emma won the awards as they really deserved them!
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Originally posted by x3xnadzx3x: omg stacey n max sud av nt won best story line it sud av been hannah's anerexia or jp n craigs affair.
well done hollyoaks
eastenders suks they sud not av won best soap its gone right down even me mum agrees wid me. who agrees wid me
hollyoaks shud av wun best soap
i totally agree with you i was so shocked when i found out hannah didnt win for best storyline the anorexia storyline had a much deeper meaning than stacey and max afair that storyline bored me didnt even have 2 watch it to find out what happend it was all predicatable but hannas wasnt and eastenders gets worse by the minute while hollyoaks just keeps on improving
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Originally posted by x3xnadzx3x: omg stacey n max sud av nt won best story line it sud av been hannah's anerexia or jp n craigs affair.
well done hollyoaks
eastenders suks they sud not av won best soap its gone right down even me mum agrees wid me. who agrees wid me
hollyoaks shud av wun best soap
What is sud?
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I'm glad Hollyoaks is top of the soap awards list, beating Corrie and Eastenders. I knew Hollyoaks have worked really hard for the last year to get good recognition from the viewers.
The happiest moment is Emma Rigby who plays Hannah Ashworth has won the Best Actress award which is GREAT!!! Emma is real star and she has star quality that made her to win the BSA award and also Chris Fountain who plays Justin Burton, has won Best Actor award, which is terrific.
Also Roxanne McKee has won the Best Sexiest Female award for the second time, which is amazing. I'm pleased for her.
If Hollyoaks won Best British Soap, then Hollyoaks would scoop seven awards, beating the competition with other British soaps.
I'm very pleased Hollyoaks is on top of the soap winner's list.
WELL DONE HOLLYOAKS AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR WINNING THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS 2008.
I hope Hollyoaks would get more awards in the next year's British Soap Awards.
