LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 -- Singer-actress Whitney Houston led the pack with five nominations as the finalists for the 27th Annual NAACP Image Awards were announced Wednesday in Los Angeles. Three of Houston's five nominations stemmed from her acting and singing work in the hit motion picture 'Waiting To Exhale.' She was nominated for best lead actress for her role in the film, as well as best female recording artist and best song for 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' from the movie soundtrack. Houston also was nominated for best performance in a variety series or special for her duet with CeCe Winans on 'VH-1 Honors,' and for best performance in an educational/informational youth or children's series or special for 'Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.' The Image Awards, presented in 44 entertainment categories, are designed to honor artists and organizations that offer positive portrayals of African Americans in entertainment. The 1996 awards will be presented in an April 6 ceremony to be taped for later broadcast by the Fox Network. Myrlie Evers-Williams, NAACP national board chairman, said at the nominations press conference that an increasing number of African American entertainers are offered 'more diverse, challenging and diverse roles' in film and television, 'enough has not been done. This message must be driven home to the entertainment industry.' The nominees: Motion picture: 'Crimson Tide,' 'Cry, The Beloved Country,' 'Devil In A Blue Dress,' 'Othello,' 'Waiting To Exhale.' Lead actor: Denzel Washington, 'Crimson Tide'; Gregory Hines, 'Waiting To Exhale'; James Earl Jones, 'Cry, The Beloved Country'; Laurence Fishburne, 'Othello'; Morgan Freeman, 'Seven.'
Lead actress: Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, 'Waiting To Exhale'; Halle Berry, 'Losing Isiah'; Jennifer Beals, 'Devil In A Blue Dress'; Whoopi Goldberg, 'Boys On The Side.' Supporting actor: Charles S. Dutton, 'Cry, The Beloved Country'; Cuba Gooding Jr., 'Outbreak'; Don Cheadle, 'Devil In A Blue Dress'; Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, 'Higher Learning.' Supporting actress: Alfre Woodard, Maya Angelou, 'How To Make An American Quilt'; Lela Rochon, Loretta Divine, 'Waiting To Exhale'; Regina Taylor, 'Clockers.' TV youth actor/actress: Bobby E. McAdams II, George Gore II, 'New York Undercover'; Raven-Symone, 'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper'; Tatyana M. Ali, 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'; Tia and Tamara Mowry, 'Sister, Sister.' TV comedy series: 'In The House,' 'Living Single,' 'Martin,' 'Sister, Sister,' 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.' Lead actor, comedy series: Jaleel White, 'Family Matters'; John Henton, 'Living Single'; LL Cool J, 'In The House'; Martin Lawrence, 'Martin'; Will Smith, 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.' Lead actress, comedy series: Erika Alexander, Kim Coles, Kim Fields Freeman, Queen Latifah, 'Living Single'; Tisha Campbell, 'Martin.' Supporting actor, comedy series: Alfonso Ribeiro, 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'; Carl Anthony Payne, Tommy Mikal Ford, 'Martin'; Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell, 'The John Larroquette Show'; John Martin, 'In The House.' Supporting actress, comedy series: Daphne Maxwell Reid, Nia Long, 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'; Eartha Kitt, 'Living Single'; Marla Gibbs, Tichina Arnold, 'Martin.' TV drama series: 'Chicago Hope,' 'ER,' 'Homicide: Life On The Street,' 'New York Undercover,' 'Under One Roof.' Lead actor, drama series: Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto, 'Homicide: Life On The Street'; Avery Brooks, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'; Eriq La Salle, 'ER'; Malik Yoba, 'New York Undercover.' Lead actress, drama series: Cicely Tyson, Cree Summer, 'Sweet Justice'; Della Reese, 'Touched An Angel'; Vanessa Bell Calloway, 'Under One Roof'; Victoria Rowell, 'Diagnosis Murder.' Supporting actor, drama series: Bill Nunn, Ice-T, 'New York Undercover'; Malcolm Jamal-Warner, 'Touched An Angel'; Ossie Davis, 'John Grisham's The Client'; Richard Pryor, 'Chicago Hope.' Supporting actress, drama series: CCH Pounder, Gloria Reuben, 'ER'; Fatima Faloye, 'New York Undercover'; Jasmine Guy, 'Melrose Place'; Vanessa Williams, 'Murder One.' TV movie, miniseries or drama special: 'Children Of The Dust,' 'Divas,' 'The Piano Lesson,' 'The Tuskegee Airmen,' 'Tyson.' Actor, TV movie, miniseries or drama special: Andre Braugher, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, 'The Tuskegee Airmen'; Charles S. Dutton, 'The Piano Lesson'; Sidney Poitier, 'Children Of The Dust.' Actress, TV movie, miniseries or drama special: Alfre Woodard, 'The Piano Lesson'; CCH Pounder, 'Zooman'; Halle Berry, 'Solomon & Sheba'; Regina Taylor, 'Children Of The Dust'; Vanessa Williams, 'Bye Bye Birdie.' Daytime drama series: 'All My Children,' 'Days Of Our Lives,' 'General Hospital,' 'One Life To Live,' 'The Young And The Restless.' Actor, daytime drama series: Adam Lazarre-White, Kristoff St. John, Shemar Moore, 'The Young And The Restless'; Darnell Williams, 'The City'; Keith Hamilton Cobb, 'All My Children.' Actress, daytime drama series: Debbi Morgan, 'The City'; Kelli Taylor, 'All My Children'; Rosalind Cash, 'General Hospital'; Tonya Lee Williams, Victoria Rowell, 'The Young And The Restless.' TV variety series or special: 'Aretha Franklin: Going Home,' 'It's Showtime At The Apollo,' 'Oprah Hangs At Q's Jook Joint,' 'Sinbad's Summer Jam,' 'The 1995 Essence Awards.' Performance, variety series or special: Al Green, 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame'; Aretha Franklin, 'Aretha Franklin: Going Home'; Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, 'Fantasy: The Mariah Carey Special'; Eddie and Gerald Levert, 'The 1995 Essence Awards'; Whitney Houston, Cece Winans, 'VH-1 Honors.' Educational/informational youth or children's series or special: 'Gullah Gullah Island,' 'Levar Burton Presents: A Reading Rainbow Special,' 'Marsalis On Music,' 'Sesame Street,' 'Teen Summit.' Performance, educational/informational youth or children's series or special: Belma Johnson, 'Teen Summit'; Levar Burton, 'Levar Burton Presents: A Reading Rainbow Special'; Lynne Thigpen, 'Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?'; Whitney Houston, 'Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards'; Wynton Marsalis, 'Marsalis On Music.' Animated/live action/dramatic youth or children's special: 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark?', 'CBS Schoolbreak Special: What About Your Friends?', 'Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales For Every Child,' 'My Brother And Me,' 'Spider-Man.' Performance, animated/live action/dramatic youth or children's series or special: Danny Glover, Sinbad, 'Happily Ever After: The Frog Prince'; Denzel Washington, 'Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin'; James Earl Jones, 'Happily Ever After: The Valiant Little Tailor'; Whoopi Goldberg, 'Happily Ever After: Rapunzel.' News, talk, or information series: '60 Minutes,' 'Both Sides With Jesse Jackson,' 'Charlie Rose,' 'Dateline NBC,' 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.' News, talk or information special: 'A Hoop Dreams Reunion,' 'Biography: Colin Powell,' 'CNN Special Coverage: The Million Man March,' 'Conversation With Ed Gordon: Johnnie Cochran,' 'Mandela's Fight For Freedom.' Literary work, fiction: 'Children Of The Dust,' Clancy Carlisle; 'R.L.'s Dream,' Walter Mosley; 'Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni,' Nikki Giovanni; 'The Wedding,' Dorothy West; 'Zora Neale Hurston: Novels And Stories,' Zora Neale Hurston. Literary work, non-fiction: 'Black Fatherhood: The Guide To Male Parenting,' Earl Ofari Hutchinson; 'Jews & Blacks: Let The Healing Begin,' Michael Lerner, Cornel West; 'Lessons In Living,' Susan L. Taylor; 'My American Journey,' Colin Powell, Joseph E. Persico; 'When We Were Colored,' Clifton Taulbert. Literary work for children: 'Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales And True Tales,' Virginia Hamilton; 'Leagues Apart: The Men And Times Of The Negro Baseball League,' Lawrence Ritter, Richard Merkin; 'Martin Luther King,' Rosemary L. Bray, Malcah Zeldis; 'The Book Of Rhythms,' Langston Hughes; 'The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo,' Tom Feelings.' New recording artist: Brandy, D'Angelo, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kirk Franklin And The Family, Monica. Male recording artist: Barry White, D'Angelo, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder. Female recording artist: Anita Baker, Brandy, Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, Whitney Houston. Recording duo or group: Boyz II Men, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kirk Franklin And The Family, Sade, TLC. Rap artist: Coolio, LL Cool J, Hammer, Naughty Nature, Shaggy. Jazz artist: Dianne Reeves, George Duke, Gerald Albright, Quincy Jones, Rachelle Farrell. Gospel artist: Bebe & CeCe Winans, Cece Winans, Kirk Franklin And Family, Sounds Of Blackness, The Winans. Music video: 'Brown Sugar,' D'Angelo; 'Earth Song,' Michael Jackson; 'Runaway,' Janet Jackson; 'Scream,' Michael Jackson; 'Waterfalls,' TLC. Soundtrack album: 'Dangerous Minds,' 'Dead Presidents,' 'Devil In A Blue Dress,' 'New York Undercover,' 'Waiting To Exhale.' Song: 'Brown Sugar,' D'Angelo; 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop),' Whitney Houston; 'Gangsta's Paradise,' Coolio; 'Waterfalls,' TLC; 'You Are Not Alone,' Michael Jackson. Album: 'Brandy,' Brandy; 'CrazySexyCool,' TLC; 'II,' Boyz II Men; 'Q's Jook Joint,' Quincy Jones; 'Waiting To Exhale,' various artists.
