Entertainment industry honchos and NAACP leaders went to sleep last night with visions of Dreamgirls dancing in their heads. 

The critically acclaimed musical is sitting pretty heading into the 38th NAACP Image Awards, with its eight nominations tying television's Everybody Hates Chris for most mentions this year. 

Accolades bestowed on Dreamgirls include a nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture, acting nods for Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover, and a notice for its soulful soundtrack. 

Beyoncé also picked up the most nominations for an individual performer, scoring nods for Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Song and Music Video for "Irreplaceable" and Outstanding Album for B'Day to give the 2006 multitasker a grand total of five. 

Dreamgirls will square off in the Outstanding Motion Picture category against Blood Diamond, Catch a Fire, Akeelah and the Bee and The Pursuit of Happyness, the last two of which received five nominations apiece, making them the second most honored films. 

The Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture category pits Foxx against Inside Man's Denzel Washington, Akeelah and the Bee's Laurence Fishburne, The Pursuit of Happyness' Will Smith and Oscar favorite Forest Whitaker, who has been collecting honors right and left for his turn as despot Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. 

Those vying against Beyoncé for Actress in a Motion Picture include Akeelah and the Bee newcomer Keke Palmer, Volver's Penélope Cruz, Last Holiday's Queen Latifah and Something New's Sanaa Lathan. 

Dreamgirls' Danny Glover, Blood Diamond's Djimon Hounsou, Dreamgirls' Murphy, Bobby's Harry Belafonte and The Pursuit of Happyness newbie Jaden Christopher Syre Smith proved themselves to be valuable right-hand men and will face off for Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. 

The actress' who left their supporting mark include Dreamgirls' Noni Rose and scene-stealer Hudson, Akeelah and the Bee's Angela Bassett, The Last King of Scotland's Kerry Washington and The Pursuit of Happyness' Thandie Newton. 

Lionsgate Films was the most nominated studio, with eight nominations, followed by Sony and Dreamworks/Paramount, with seven apiece. 

With regard to the smaller screen, Everybody Hates Chris' eight nominations and Girlfriends' six helped give newbie network the CW 17 mentions, although CBS leads the field with 19. 

Defending champ Chris is joined by All of Us, The Bernie Mac Show, Girlfriends and freshman hit Ugly Betty in the Outstanding Comedy lineup. 

Meanwhile, last year's favorite, Grey's Anatomy, finds itself up for Outstanding Drama once again, this time against 24, Heroes, The Unit and The Wire. 

The Unit's Dennis Haysbert, CSI: New York's Hill Harper, Grey's Isaiah Washington, Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin and The Wire's Michael K. Williams are all up for Actor in a Drama Series. 

2006's leading TV drama queens include CCH Pounder in The Shield, Jennifer Beals in The L Word, Kimberly Elise in Close to Home, Regina Taylor in The Unit and Roselyn Sanchez in Without a Trace.  

Along with Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige was also music to voters' ears. The songstress picked up four nominations, including Outstanding Female Artist, where she'll square off against Miss Knowles, India.Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae and Fantasia. 

Last year's Outstanding New Artist, Chris Brown, throws his hat into the overall Male Artist pool this year, where he'll face off against onetime retiree Jay-Z, John Legend, Lionel Richie and Prince. 

It was also announced that CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien will be honored with the 2007 NAACP President's Award, given in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. 

A complete list of nominations for the 38th NAACP Image Awards, which celebrates projects and artists who promote diversity in the fields of film, television, music and literature, can be found at naacpimageawards.net. A special committee comprising 300 NAACP leaders and industry professionals selected this year's nominees, five in each of 35 categories, from more than 1,200 submissions. 

Fox will broadcast the ceremony live Mar. 2 from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.