Vandross wins Image Awards

Soul crooner Luther Vandross won four National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People Image Awards in a ceremony that blended politics with a wide range of honours for works by and about people of colour.

Vandross is recovering from a stroke and was not at Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles yesterday to pick up his prizes for best male artist and his music video, song and album titled Dance With My Father. The sentimental favourite won four Grammys last month.

The Gospel music comedy The Fighting Temptations won for best movie. Cuba Gooding Jr was honoured as best actor for Radio, and Queen Latifah was named best actress for Bringing Down the House.

Hip-hop group OutKast won for outstanding duo or group, and rotund young R&B star Ruben Studdard won best new artist.