Behind the Scenes at Image Awards

By Stephen M. Silverman

02/25/2002 at 09:16 AM EST

The red carpet at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheatre was jam-packed Saturday night for the 33rd annual National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards, where "Training Day" star Denzel Washington claimed his fifth best movie actor award in seven years, reports PEOPLE. Before the program, R&B veterans O'Jays and comedian Bernie Mac traded barbs as Mac was holding up the line talking to camera crews, with actresses Tisha Campbell and Lisa Nicole Carson trapped between them. Best picture honors went to "Ali," while Halle Berry was named best movie actress for the thriller "Swordfish." Keys won best new music artist; Ja Rule was named best rapper for his single "Livin' It Up"; and the late songstress Aaliyah, who died last summer in a plane crash, won outstanding female artist for her album "Aaliyah." At the party afterwards at the Sunset Room, Jesse Jackson hung out with P. Diddy and the unlikely duo was greeted by Angela Bassett and her husband, Courtney B. Vance. Bassett, 43, told PEOPLE that of all the Oscar-nominated roles this year, she wishes that she could have played "Sissy Spacek's part in 'In the Bedroom.' It had great emotional range." Chimed in "Touched By an Angel" star Della Reese, 70: "Sissy's so good she could play the phone book if she wanted to. When you've got it, you've got it -- and Sissy's got it."