‘Basketball,’ ‘Titans’ Lead NAACP Nominations

The urban love story “Love & Basketball,” the historical football drama “Remember the Titans” and the WB’s “The Steve Harvey Show” were the leaders Thursday in nominations for the 31st annual NAACP Image Awards, while filmmaker Spike Lee’s controversial “Bamboozled” and the hits “Scary Movie,” “Big Momma’s House” and “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” were nearly shut out.

“Love & Basketball,” New Line Cinema’s sleeper hit marking the film debut of writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Walt Disney Pictures’ “Remember The Titans,” both scored five nominations, including outstanding motion picture. “Love & Basketball” received best actor and actress nominations for Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan, as well as acting nominations for Alfre Woodard and Kyla Pratt. “Remember the Titans” received a best actor nomination for Denzel Washington, and acting nods for Wood Harris, Nicole Ari Parker and Krysten Leigh Jones.

Other outstanding picture nominees included “Men of Honor,” “Shaft” and Lee’s documentary “The Original Kings of Comedy.”

The only nomination for “Bamboozled,” Lee’s satire about a minstrel show that becomes a huge TV hit, was an outstanding actress nomination for Jada Pinkett-Smith. The film, which starred Damon Wayans, received mixed reviews and failed to reach a large audience.

Another surprise was the near absence of nominations for three of the year’s biggest film moneymakers with black stars and directors: “Big Momma’s House” starring Martin Lawrence, “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” with Eddie Murphy and the horror movie spoof “Scary Movie” from director Keenen Ivory Wayans.

“The Steve Harvey Show,” about a 1970s R&B; star turned high school music teacher and now vice principal, was nominated for best comedy series, and collected six other nominations, including outstanding actor for Harvey, and co-starring nominations for Wendy Raquel Robinson, Cedric the Entertainer, Merlin Santana, William Lee Scott and Terri J. Vaughn.

Also competing in the outstanding comedy series category is the WB’s “For Your Love” and “The Jamie Foxx Show,” and UPN’s “The Hughleys” and “The Parkers.”

CBS’ canceled inner-city hospital drama, “City of Angels,” will compete for outstanding drama series against ABC’s “The Practice,” Lifetime’s “Any Day Now,” ABC’s “Gideon’s Crossing” and Showtime’s “Soul Food.”

The awards, which honor the best in black entertainment in the fields of film, TV, music and literature, will be held March 1 and 3 at the Universal Amphitheatre, and will be broadcast in a shortened version on Fox on March 9.