"Dreamgirls" nabs 8 NAACP Image nominations

LOS ANGELES  - "Dreamgirls" hit the right note by garnering eight NAACP Image Award nominations Tuesday, including best motion picture.

The period musical also nabbed mentions for best actor ( Jamie Foxx), actress ( Beyonce Knowles), supporting actor ( Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy), supporting actress (Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson) and soundtrack.

Nominations for the 38th annual event were unveiled in Beverly Hills by Vanessa L. Williams, Isaiah Washington, Chandra Wilson, Shaun Robinson and DB Woodside, as well as executives from the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.

Winners will be announced during a March 2 ceremony that will air live on Fox.

"Akeelah and the Bee," "Blood Diamond," "Catch a Fire" and "The Pursuit of Happyness" will square off against "Dreamgirls" for the ceremony's top film honor.

On the TV side, "Everybody Hates Chris" received eight nominations, followed by "Girlfriends" with six. In the music categories, Knowles and Mary J. Blige shared the lead with four nominations each.