Sam Worthington wins GQ award

Sam Worthington

AAP

AUSTRALIAN actor Sam Worthington has taken out the 2009 GQ Man of the Year award.

The Terminator Salvation star blew away the opposition, winning the GQ magazine's Man Of The Year award thanks to his rapid ascent as a Hollywood A-lister.

Staged inside the historical Great Hall of Sydney University on Thursday night, the GQ awards honoured leading Australian men across the arts, sport, politics, business and community service.

Worthington was humble in his acceptance speech before a packed room of celebrities, fashion designers, media heavyweights and his girlfriend of 18 months, stylist Natalie Mark.

"Other people appreciate you for who you are," the 34-year-old said, going on to explain his definition of manhood.

"I think it would be arrogant to say these are the qualities you should have as a man and I think that other people should be able to assess where you are in life and your good qualities.

"So, as long as you can make people happy, that's what you should be aiming for."

The Perth-born actor is treading a well-worn path, editor of GQ Australia Nick Smith says.

"This year has been an amazing year for Australian celebrities and you've got Hugh Jackman and you have your ever present Russell Crowe and Eric Bana and now we have Sam Worthington who is running up straight behind them," Smith told AAP at the awards ceremony.

"I think it is actually a global trend to want guys who are masculine but also can connect emotionally and those four guys just by chance are all Australian."

In a remarkably short period of time, Worthington has transformed into bona fide star, having acted in an impressive blockbuster trifecta that began earlier in the year when he starred in Terminator Salvation.

The film has grossed more than $371,000,000 worldwide, but it's tipped to be eclipsed by the upcoming release of director James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar, which will be followed in March 2010 by the release of Clash of the Titans.

The 2009 GQ Actor of the Year award went to 32-year-old former Home and Away star Ryan Kwanten in recognition of his breakthrough Hollywood role in the US vampire television series True Blood.

And Australian soul singer Daniel Merriweather took out 2009 GQ Breakthrough Star of the Year.