Smith, Washington a first for Oscars

Will Smith and Denzel Washington have both been nominated for Best Actor Oscar awards this year.

This marks the first time two African Americans have been nominated at the same time in the category.

Smith is nominated for his lead role in the feature film “Ali” and Washington is recognized for his role in the police drama “Training Day.”

Oscar nominations released to public

Oscar nominations have been announced.

The following are some of the categories:

Actor in a Leading Role: Russell Crowe, Sean Penn, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Tom Wilkinson

Actress in a Leading Role: Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Sissy Spacek, Renee Zellweger

Animated Feature Film: “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Shrek”

Cinematography: “Amelie,” “Black Hawk Down,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RIngs,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “Moulin Rouge”

Documentary Feature: “Children Underground,” “Lalee’s Kin,” “Murder On A Sunday,” “Morning,” “Promises,” “War Photographer”

Harry Potter book goes for $14,000

A first-edition copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” sold for $14,000 Tuesday at an auction in London. The book, which is the first in the popular Harry Potter series by author J.K. Rowling, is one of about 300 first-run editions.

– News gathered by Bethany Kohoutek from oscar.com, eonline.com, yahoo.com