‘Nemo,’ ‘Pirates’ top public poll

Some of 2003’s biggest film hits, including “Finding Nemo” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” led the best picture nominees on Tuesday for the fan-driven 30th People’s Choice Awards.

“Nemo” and “Pirates” were both nominated for Favorite Motion Picture on the list, along with “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” another box office smash and the second installment in the popular Middle Earth trilogy.

The nominees are picked by a nationwide telephone poll and online voting, and although “The Two Towers” was released at the end of 2002, it played during 2003.

Unlike the Oscars and most other awards, in which nominees and winners are selected by their industry peers, the People’s Choice Awards are determined by public polling by the Gallup Organization. They will be handed out during a live broadcast Sunday on CBS.