Jennifer Hudson is a popular American singer and actress. She gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical Dreamgirls, based on a hit Broadway musical.
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Jennifer Hudson hit that high note and reached EGOT status. Only 16 other people have the honor of being called an EGOT, the elite group of artists who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Hudson is a popular singer and actress and the second Black woman to collect all four prestigious awards. She completed her award collection after winning a Tony award for co-producing the musical A Strange Loop.

Hudson gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical motion picture Dreamgirls (2006), based on a hit Broadway musical. In the film, Hudson portrayed a singer in a 1960’s female vocal group. The film was based on the story of the popular vocal group the Supremes. In 2009, Hudson won a Grammy Award for her best-selling debut album, Jennifer Hudson (2008).

Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on Sept. 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She sang in gospel choirs as a child. She also acted in community theater and performed on cruise ships. Community theater is a type of nonprofessional, local theater.

Hudson’s second album, I Remember Me, was released in 2011. It also became a hit. Her other films include the crime drama Fragments and the drama The Secret Life of Bees (both 2008); the comedy The Three Stooges (2012); the musical drama Black Nativity (2013); and the drama Chi-Raq (2015). In the biographical film Winnie (2011), she portrayed the South African politician and political activist Winnie Mandela. Hudson has also acted on a number of television shows. In 2013, she portrayed a Broadway star on the musical drama “Smash.” She wrote an autobiography, I Got This (2012). In 2021, Hudson won a Daytime Emmy award for producing Baba Yaga (2020), a virtual reality animated and interactive film.

Hudson has joked about reaching EGOT status after she won an Oscar award after naming a pet dog Oscar, and she won a Grammy award after naming a dog Grammy. She now needs to bring two more dogs into her home and name them Emmy and Tony!

Hudson joins the ranks of Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Whoopi Goldberg, Marvin Hamlisch, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, John Legend, Robert Lopez, Alan Menken, Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols, Tim Rice, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What an impressive group of artists!

April 8, 2016

The singing competition television show “American Idol” crowned its final winner last night as it ended its 15-year run. Trent Harmon, 25, from Mississippi, beat out fellow Mississippian La’Porsha Renae to become the winner of the show’s final season, to the apparent surprise of judges Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban.

“American Idol” finalists Kelly Clarkson, second from left, and Justin Guarini, second from right, competed during the show’s first season in 2002. Ryan Seacrest, far left, and Brian Dunkleman, far right, hosted the show. “American Idol,” which aired until 2016, attracted some of the biggest audiences in television history. © Fred Prouser, Reuters/Landov

But the people had spoken, a theme emphasized in a special opening segment featuring United States President Barack Obama. Pointing out the voting power of the “Idol” audience, Obama congratulated the show on its long run as he urged Americans to vote: “For over a decade, this show has motivated millions of young Americans to vote…. We should do the same in our lives as citizens of this country we love…. Not all of us can sing like Kelly Clarkson [the show's first winner] but all of our voices matter. This show reached historic heights not only because Americans watched it, but because you participated in its success, and the same is true of America.”

“American Idol,” which had aired on the Fox network since 2002, discovered new singing talent through a series of auditions and televised performances. While the judges commented on each contestant’s performance, the viewers determined which contestants would advance to the next round of the competition. Viewers voted by calling a special telephone number or by text messaging after each performance show. The results were announced during the following night’s broadcast. After several weeks of performances and voting, the competition was eventually narrowed down to two finalists. The winner received a recording contract and the title of American Idol for the show’s season.

Last night’s show also featured special segments and appearances by several former contestants. Clarkson, who later became a Grammy Award winner, prerecorded a medley of her hits for the show’s audience. Season 4 finalist Jennifer Hudson, who went on to win an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her performance in the motion-picture musical  Dreamgirls (2006), took the stage, as did season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, who performed with judge Urban. Original judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul also made appearances, as did Season 1 co-host Brian Dunkleman and 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch.

Throughout its long history, the show saw many other judges, including the singer, songwriter, and record producer Kara DioGuardi; the comedian and TV personality Ellen DeGeneres; the rock musician Steven Tyler; the singer Mariah Carey; and the rap artist Nicki Minaj. Some of show’s other notable contestants included Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks, and Ruben Studdard.

Ratings for the “American Idol,” which once attracted some of the biggest audiences in television history, had been down in recent years. A decade ago, “Idol” drew up to 40 million viewers. Last night’s show drew nearly 13 million viewers, the best ratings for an “Idol” finale since 2013.

“American Idol” was based on a popular British program called “Pop Idol” and started out with the name “American Idol: The Search for a Superstar.” Other national versions of “Idol” include “Australian Idol,” “Canadian Idol,” and “Indian Idol.” “American Idol” spawned many other singing competition shows, including “The Voice.”

“American Idol” creator Simon Fuller was said to be already planning a reboot of the show that he described as being more “interactive” with a “youthful glow.” “‘Idol’ will certainly be coming back,” Fuller said. Ryan Seacrest, who had hosted the show since its first season, hinted at that hope last night when he signed off by saying, “Goodnight America, for now.”

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