Johnny Depp top star for People's Choice nominees

By Stone Martindale Nov 9, 2006, 0:14 GMT

Depp-alicious! Johnny Depp EPA/ROBERT GILHOOLY

LOS ANGELES- "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp is Hollywood's top-grossing star this year, and to the victor goes the spoils, he led the field of People's Choice Award contenders announced Tuesday, garnering three nominations.

Depp, as scallywag Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," was nominated as favorite male movie star along with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, and clinched a separate bid as best male action star, competing in that category with Samuel L. Jackson and Jet Li.

Depp, 43, voted favorite male star last year, shared a third nomination with "Pirates" co-star British actress Keira Knightley in the category for favorite on-screen match-up.

"Dead Man's Chest" raked in nearly $422 million domestically and more than $1 billion worldwide in theatrical ticket sales, making it top grosser of the year.

People's Choice Awards are determined soley by the audience. In previous years, polling for the awards was conducted by the Gallup Organization.

Web-based market research group Knowledge Networks recruited a sample of "pop culture-involved" men and women to nominate their favorites from pre-selected candidates in different categories.

The top three selections for each category became nominees, and the winners will be chosen by a majority of online votes cast at the Web site www.pcavote.com.

Halle Berry, who was in "X-Men: The Last Stand," picked up noms in two categories.

The Oscar winner faces off against Jennifer Aniston and last year's winner, Sandra Bullock, in the race for favorite female movie star. Berry's competitors in the race for favorite female action star are Kate Beckinsale and Uma Thurman.

Aniston and Vince Vaughn were nominated for best on-screen match up for "The Break-Up," and Vaughn picked up a second nomination as favorite leading man, competing with Matt Damon and Brad Pitt.

Damon and his Boston Irish gangster "The Departed" co-stars Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio rounded out the roster of nominees in the favorite match-up category.

Country dominated favorite male and female singers, with Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Trace Adkins, Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith among the contenders vying in those categories.

Nominated for favorite group were Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The 33rd Annual People's Choice Awards will be held January 9th in a nationally televised awards ceremony.