Make no debate about it, the fruits of Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry and Alicia Keys’ labor dominated the 39th NAACP Image Awards.

Washington’s cinematic pet project The Great Debaters, a heart-tugging drama about the rise of the debate team at an African-American college in Depression-era Texas, scored four awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Actor for its director-star.

“It’s just a joy and an honor to be here,” Washington said—once the whoops and shouts of “I love you!” had died down—while accepting his acting trophy, for which he beat out, among others, Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard. “I’ll be at that other show next week but my heart is here and I’m just so happy to see these young people get recognized.” (Washington is set to present at the Oscars Feb. 24.)

Jurnee Smollett and 17-year-old Denzel Whitaker, named Outstanding Actress and Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, helped make the film the most winning production of the night.

Then there was Alicia Keys, who matched The Great Debaters all by herself. She also took home four trophies, earning Outstanding Album honors for the platinum-selling As I Am and top music video and song awards for “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.”

“No One” could top her in the Outstanding Female Artist category, either.

Chris Brown took home the male counterpart of that award, and Jordin Sparks continued to take steps out of that American Idol box, getting named Outstanding New Artist.

The NAACP Image Awards honor achievements in film, television, music and literature, most of which are recognized off-camera, the better to make time for performances and tributes to luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, this year’s Hall of Fame Award winner; Aretha Franklin, receiver of the Vanguard Award; and a resurgent Ruby Dee, who can line her Chairman’s Award up next to that SAG trophy she recently won.

“I was here when the sets were falling down and cue cards were being written in the wings just before the artists walked on stage,” Franklin said, reminiscing about the NAACP’s inaugural ceremony. “This is the icing on the cake for me.”

D.L. Hughley presided over the festivities at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, where the mood varied from spiritual to humbling to joyous to just plain uplifting.

“This is awesome, thank you so much,” Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, a winner for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy, said onstage. “I love to be a part of this show because it’s fun to be a part of, but also for what it stands for…It feels really good to be in this room with such wonderful, beautiful, colorful faces.”

Ferrera’s win, coupled with costar Vanessa Williams’ repeat win for her comedic supporting turn as the malevolent Wilhelmina, was the only thing standing in the way of a clean sweep for Tyler Perry’s House of Payne in the comedy-TV categories.

The TBS sitcom, recently picked up for a third season, was named Outstanding Comedy Series and provided actors LaVan Davis and Lance Gross with their first wins for their respective lead and supporting roles.

His original confession had the ring of truth: He was an illegal immigrant working on a renovation job in a Greenwich Village building when the imperious woman upstairs confronted him over construction noise.

They argued. She scratched him. Panicked that she would call the police and that he would be deported, he punched her and pushed her to the floor. Mistakenly thinking he had killed her, he hanged her from the shower rod of her bathroom, in a staged suicide.

But in a courtroom on Thursday, the construction worker, Diego Pillco, 20, told a very different story of how he killed the woman, Adrienne Shelly, a filmmaker, on Nov. 1, 2006. Ms. Shelly, who was 40 and the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, had just finished a film, “Waitress,” which opened to warm reviews after her death.

Mr. Pillco, a short, boyish-looking man, speaking softly through a Spanish translator, told a judge in State Supreme Court in Manhattan that the argument had not been over noise, but over a robbery.

He told the judge that Ms. Shelly had caught him stealing money from her purse after he had slipped into the apartment at 15 Abingdon Square that she used as an office.

When she picked up the phone to call the police, he said, he grabbed it and covered her mouth as she started to scream.

“When she fell to the floor I saw a sheet and decided to choke her, and that’s what happened,” Mr. Pillco said.

The judge, Carol Berkman, prodded him: “And you tied a sheet around her neck and strung her up?”

“Yes,” Mr. Pillco replied, “and I made it look as if she committed suicide on her own.”

It sounded like a straightforward confession to murder, which could have brought Mr. Pillco a sentence of 25 years to life in prison, if he had been convicted by a jury.

Instead, Mr. Pillco pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, first-degree manslaughter, and was promised a fixed sentence of 25 years in a deal negotiated with the Manhattan district attorney.

It was a hard choice dictated by the existence of the first confession, according to an official in the district attorney’s office, who was not authorized to speak on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

If he had gone to trial, the official said, Mr. Pillco probably would have stuck by his original story, which might have convinced a jury that Ms. Shelly’s death was merely reckless, even though the prosecution would have argued otherwise.

In that case, if convicted he could have received a maximum sentence of 15 years. It appeared that the defense may have feared the opposite outcome, that Mr. Pillco would be convicted of murder and sentenced to life. Mr. Pillco’s lawyer, Thomas Klein, of the Legal Aid Society, declined to comment on his strategy.

Ms. Shelly’s husband, Andy Ostroy, her stepdaughter and other relatives sat quietly in the courtroom during the hearing and declined to comment afterward.

But their grim faces conveyed what the judge said out loud: that their assent had been given reluctantly. “Well, I’m not going to ask whether they’re happy with this,” Justice Berkman said, after the lead prosecutor, Peter Casolaro, assured her that the family had agreed to the plea.

There was little about Mr. Pillco’s first confession that added up, according to prosecutors. He told detectives five days after the killing that Ms. Shelly had confronted him in the apartment where he was working. The floor of that apartment was covered in gypsum dust, the prosecutor said, yet Ms. Shelly’s shoes, socks and the hems of her pants were clean.

Rather, it was Mr. Pillco’s shoeprints, traced in construction dust on the toilet and the rim of the bathtub where Ms. Shelly’s husband found her hanging, that gave him away.

Mr. Pillco, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, had come to the United States 8 to 10 months before the murder, the official said.

Ms. Shelly, who was born in Queens as Adrienne Levine, had just finished “Waitress,” a film about an unhappily married, pregnant waitress who finds joy in baking pies (and having an affair) that she wrote, directed and appeared in. The film was later shown at the Sundance Film Festival and then went into wider release.

Ms. Shelly was best known for her roles in Hal Hartley’s dark comedies “The Unbelievable Truth” and “Trust.” She also appeared in more than two dozen Off Broadway plays and in television shows.

In court on Thursday, after Justice Berkman asked, “What happened?” Mr. Pillco gave this account.

He had been returning from lunch in the basement of the building when he saw Ms. Shelly in an elevator. “The lady was coming up in the elevator,” he said. “So when I saw her, I decided to rob her.”

He waited on an upstairs landing and watched her go into her apartment. She left the door open, he said, and he slipped in, took her purse, and removed money; he did not say how much.

After describing the fight for the phone and the struggle that ensued, he stopped his recitation. After a conversation with his lawyer, he added one last sentence. Mr. Pillco’s final words to the court were, “I just want to ask forgiveness to her family.”

The judge replied, “I doubt that you will get that, sir.”

The Star of the show on the new radio station Pulse 87 (WNYZ, 87.7 FM) says he can’t wait to get on the air - though it could be a little later than he had hoped.

Troi (Star) Torain, the successful and sometimes controversial former morning host at WQHT (97.1 FM) and WWPR (105.1 FM), is scheduled to start Monday on Pulse 87, which debuted this week with a dance-oriented top-40 format.

That debut will be widely watched, since he’s been off the air since being loudly fired from Power-105 in May 2006 over offensive remarks about the child of a rival host.

He said Tuesday, however, that his start date could be pushed back to Feb. 25, giving him more time to recover from recent surgery that included a liver transplant and other work.

“I’m going to see how I feel later this week,” he said. “I just want to be sure I’m ready.”

Transplants, which must be done when a donor becomes available, are debilitating.

Star said he has been back to the hospital three times over complications, which isn’t unusual, and that he lost 59 pounds.

“None of my clothes fit,” he said. “And there are a lot of foods I can’t eat anymore. Right now I’m having a meal of Beech-Nut baby food. Everything is mushy.”

At first, he said, he will probably play more music than he used to, and he may have a mix deejay.

“I’ll give exposure to people who can’t get a shot on corporate-controlled radio,” he said.

His team will also include the original Buc Wild (”cleaned up”), White Trash Helene (”she has been such a trooper … she turned down other radio jobs because she wanted to work with me”) and DX21, who has created a lot of his show materials.

Star says he turned down another radio offer because Pulse 87 gave more creative control and a voice in the station. So he’s happy that, for starters, he was able to help the station hire program director Joel Salkowitz.

“Joel’s a master,” he said. “The music sounds great and it’s getting the response we want. We didn’t do this from corporate research. We did it from our gut.”

As for his place in this setting, Star said he’ll be himself.

“I don’t have anything more to prove,” he said. “So we’re just going to have fun. Remember, this isn’t just a different world for radio today, it’s a different country. Everyone’s held hostage by pressure groups.

“When I came to New York in 1981, my goal was for people to know my name. Now my goal is to be remembered.”

So he hopes to resume that pursuit as soon as possible.

“I feel a lot stronger than I did two weeks ago,” he said. “When I come back, I want to be ready to do five days a week, four hours a day. If I have to have Buc Wild push me in a wheelchair and hook up an IV, I’ll be ready.”

We are just hours away from the “American Idol” Top 24 being revealed. I’ve poured over the eight audition shows and carefully watched the Hollywood rounds. Here is the list of the ten singers I think will be garnering your votes this season. I’ve based it on a number of factors from 1 to 10 – likeability, vocal ability, airtime and star quality.

David Archuleta – Considering he won Star Search at age 12, David already has a leg up on the competition. This 17-year-old’s vocal paralysis has not kept him down, he wowed the judges singing “Waiting on the World To Change” in San Diego and then nailed “Heaven” during the Hollywood rounds. His significant amount of airtime will help him sail through to the Top 12 and his young fan base will keep him there. He already has a group of fans that are calling themselves the ‘Arch Angels.’

Likeability – 10
Vocal Ability – 10
Airtime – 9
Star Quality –9
Idol Déja vu – Jon Peter Lewis

*****

Asia’h Epperson – This 18-year-old from Joplin, Missouri (pronounced Asia like the continent) brought me to tears when she sang “How Do I Live” by Lee Ann Rimes as a tribute to her father who passed away two days before the audition in an car accident. This girl oozes star quality. With significant airtime, an interesting breathy voice that earned her three yeses from the judges and a beautiful smile she’s my number one female to watch.

Likeability – 10
Vocal Ability – 8
Airtime – 9
Star Quality – 10
Idol Déja vu – Lisa Tucker

*****

Syesha Mercado – This 20-year-old from Miami, Florida already proved she can make it to the big time appearing as a contestant on ABC’s “The One”(an “Idol” rip off). If she can power through a song like she did in Hollywood with a sore throat she’ll power right through to the Top 12. She’s a triple threat actress, singer and model who has already appeared in a slew of commercials including one where she was behind the wheel of a Ford - something she’ll be doing again soon when we see those cheesy Ford commercials.

Likeability – 8
Vocal Ability – 9
Airtime: 9
Star Quality – 9
Idol Déja vu - Nadia Turner

*****

Brooke White - This 24-year-old nanny from Van Nuys will surely have two very unhappy twin girls when she sails into the Top 12 and out of her job as their caretaker. Her soulful rendition of “Like A Star” by Corrine Bailey Rae earned her three yeses from the judges and her brave piano performance during the Hollywood rounds has upped her already significant airtime and will surely help her win fans.

Likeability – 8
Vocal Ability – 9
Airtime: 10
Star Quality – 8
Idol Déja vu – Carmen Rasmusen

*****

Kady Malloy - There were plenty of cute southern blondes this season but none stood out to fans more than this 18-year-old from Houston, Texas who can do vocal impressions of singers like Britney Spears, Shakira and Gary LeVox (can’t wait to hear that one). As we have learned from Carrie Underwood, country and American Idol go together well which is maybe what made Simon utter “I’ve got a feeling about you” during her audition.

Likeability – 9
Vocal Ability – 9
Airtime: 7
Star Quality – 9
Idol Déja vu – Carrie Underwood

*****

Carly Smithson – Before we even got a glimpse of her audition in San Diego in front of the judges, the “Irish Girl” was causing controversy. Under her married name Carly Hennessy, she signed a multi-million dollar, six-album contract with MCA Records (Vivendi Universal) in 2000. She reportedly got a $100,000 advance and living expenses for two years while MCA spent $2.2 million on recording and promoting her album Ultimate High, that flopped. Idol fans sites began complaining that she was a ringer that the company behind “American Idol” put in the show in hopes of giving her a second shot at success. She got a significant amount of airtime with her husband at their tattoo parlor making her quite memorable and with a great performance at the Hollywood round. Any publicity is good publicity and I think Carly’s will put her through to the Top 12.

Likeability – 7
Vocal Ability – 9
Airtime – 10
Star Quality – 8
Idol Déja vu – Nikki McKibbin

*****

Amanda Overmyer - The “rock & roll” nurse, as Randy Jackson dubbed her, follows in the footsteps of past female rockers Gina Glocksen and Nikki McKibbin. Considering how well they both did I think her motorcycle riding days will have to a backseat for a while as she zooms her way into the Top 12. Likeability – 7
Vocal Ability – 7
Airtime: 10
Star Quality – 6
Idol Déja vu – Gina Glocksen

*****

Danny Noriega – Nigel Lythgoe promised this year we would not see another Sanjaya, yet something about this 17-year-old from Azusa, California makes me think otherwise. He already has the great hair going for him and a flamboyant personality – and the fact that he was the very last audition on the very last show will help up his remembrance factor.

Likeability – 8
Vocal Ability – 7
Airtime – 8
Star Quality - 7
Idol Déja vu – Sanjaya Malakar

*****

David Hernandez - It’s rare for someone who is only shown during the Hollywood rounds to make such an impression that they can win enough fans to get through to the Top 12. David is that exception. His stellar performance of “Love The One You’re With” proved he can command a stage and even Simon was impressed. He also has something in common with season six winner Jordin Sparks, they both competed in Arizona Idol.

Likeability – 9
Vocal Ability – 9
Airtime: 6
Star Quality – 8
Idol Déja vu – Phil Stacey

*****

David Cook - America made a mistake when they sent home Chris Daughtry in favor of Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee. Can this rocker right that wrong? Like Brooke Smith he has gotten some additional airtime during the Hollywood round promos for playing an instrument upping his recognizability factor big time.

Likeability – 7
Vocal Ability – 8
Airtime: 8
Star Quality – 7
Idol Déja vu – Chris Daughtry

As if things weren’t going badly enough for the Hilton clan what with Barron’s drunken-driving woes, now it turns out that Paris Hilton’s new flick “The Hottie and the Nottie” may be the biggest box-office bomb of all time!

The movie took in just $9,000 dollars last weekend - an average of $81 per screen, according to Splashnews.com.

“And when you consider each theater probably showed the movie about five times a day, then woah there, horsey. We’re talking about a movie that put only two people in theater seats per showing,” said ActressArchives.com. “That’s super-bomb status, the likes of which haven’t been seen since 2004’s ‘National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers.”

The flick, in which Hilton plays a hottie who refuses to mate until her ugly friend does, was universally panned by critics including the Herald, which called it an “ugly duckling story that is more stomach-churning than playful.”