The green slime poured down on celebrities and fans alike on Saturday night in Los Angeles at a raucous 18th annual Kids Choice Awards broadcast on the Nickelodeon children's cable network.

　　Rapper-actor Will Smith kicked off the evening with a spirited performance of the song "Switch" accompanied by a supporting cast that included breakdancers and throngs of people in feathered costumes.

　　Host Ben Stiller arrived in a tricked-out miniature convertible, dressed from head to toe in a silver jumpsuit he said would prevent him from being that year's celebrity slime victim.

　　Last year's co-host, Cameron Diaz, immediately pelted him with cream pies.

　　Between bouts of silliness, a number of awards were handed out, including the "Wannabe Award," for the celebrity kids most want to be like. This year's trophy, a silver blimp, went to Queen Latifah, who was introduced by Halle Berry.

　　"Her accomplishments are mind boggling and span the world of entertainment," Berry said. "There's a famous expression that goes, 'It's good to be king.' Well, I'd like to add that it's real good to be queen."

　　A giddy Latifah seemed delighted by the award, holding it over her head and shouting, "I get a blimp."

　　Other top winners included Adam Sandler for favorite movie actor, teen idol Hilary Duff for movie actress, Usher for male singer and Smith for voice from an animated movie.

　　Most of the winners offered brief words of thanks, but Usher and Smith delivered advice to their young fans.

　　"Make sure you brush your teeth, say your prayers, eat your vitamins," Usher told the audience of some 10,000 screaming youngsters at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. "You can be anything you want to be in life. All you have to do is believe in yourself."

　　Smith insisted that the audience quiet down and listen after he accepted his award from his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Chris Rock. He encouraged the crowd to make reading a habit, telling them books contain all the answers they will ever need.

　　"There is no problem you can have that some person hasn't had before and solved," and then written about, he said.

　　Will Ferrell was the evening's first slime victim, having buckets of the green goo dumped on him after he challenged soccer star Mia Hamm to a soccer kickoff.

　　The evening concluded with Johnny Depp coming on stage supposedly to slime Stiller, but getting the green goo dumped on himself.

　　(The Associated Press)