Denzel Washington's new movie The Great Debaters is leading the nominations for the NAACP Image Awards after landing nods including Best Picture.

The film, about a Texas professor who takes his African-American students to debate the great minds at Harvard University in the 1930s, is also up for Best Actor (Washington), Best Director (Washington), Best Actress (Jurnee Smollett) and Best Writing (Robert Eisele). Denzel Whitaker, Forest Whitaker and Nate Parker are all nominated for Best Supporting Actor for their roles in the movie.

Elsewhere, in the Best Actor category Washington is up against Don Cheadle (Talk To Me), Terrence Howard (Pride), Will Smith (I Am Legend) and Columbus Short (Stomp The Yard).

Best Actress is between Smollett, Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), Halle Berry (Things We Lost In The Fire), Jill Scott (Why Did I Get Married?) and Taraji P. Henseon (Talk To Me).

Competing against "The Great Debaters" in the Best Picture field are American Gangster, "I Am Legend," "Why Did I Get Married?" and "Talk To Me."

The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People's 39th annual Image Awards takes place February 14 in Los Angeles.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)