Not quite the torrid tale of the ultimate catfight, nominees for the 31^st annual People's Choice awards were announced on Tuesday by Jason Alexander and Eva Longoria.

For the first time in the history of the awards, they will be polled entirely online. The nominees have been compiled by Entertainment Weekly, the People's Choice production team, and fans of popular culture.

The award results will be announced on January 9, 2005, and additional award categories will be announced online in December this year. The current crop of announced nominees are an interesting mix of contemporary rising stars-to-be and established A-listers.

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Slugging it out for favourite male movie star are safe bets: current Hollywood darling Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks rising from his forgettable performances in time to promote Polar Express, and Tom Cruise, fresh from his turn as an evil assassin in Collateral.

On the female side, the Oscars are almost echoed as the list includes the industry's biggest, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman, taking on Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon.

Oddly enough, there is another category for leading man and leading lady, who are evidently not essentially movie 'stars'. This category sees the interesting, slightly edgier and less mainstream performers, including Zach Braff and Jude Law, with Jennifer Garner and Natalie Portman. Queerly enough, Jim Carrey figures in this category after his cult success with Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.

Tops among the favourite action movie star nominees are Uma Thurman, who rocked in the astonishing Kill Bill, and Hugh Jackman, now comfortably at home playing mutants in need of manicures and vampire hunters.

Favourite singer nods include Eminem, Prince, Sheryl Crow and Avril Lavigne, and the favourite group category sees frantic competition between long-standing greats, the world's biggest band U2, suddenly respectable Evanescence, and the seemingly unstoppable OutKast.

The list of major nominees, as announced by Entertainment Weekly, are:

Favourite female movie star: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon.

Favourite male movie star: George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington.

Favourite female action movie star: Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightley, Uma Thurman.

Favourite male action movie star: Matt Damon, Hugh Jackman, Tobey Maguire, Viggo Mortensen, Will Smith.

Favourite leading man: Zach Braff, Jim Carrey, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Brad Pitt.

Favourite leading lady: Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Garner, Natalie Portman, Kate Winslet, Renee Zellweger.

Favourite group: Evanescence, Maroon 5, No Doubt, OutKast, U2.

Favourite male singer: Eminem, Josh Groban, John Mayer, Prince, Usher.

Favourite female singer: Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan.

Uma Thurman's photograph: Getty Images