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.
Credit: © Shutterstock

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!

Regina King won an Emmy Award for best lead actress in a movie or limited series for her role as Angela Abar (also known as the masked hero Sister Night) in Watchmen (2019).
Credit: © HBO

On Sept. 20, 2020, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. But, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, very few people were in attendance. Nominees watched, celebrated, and accepted awards at either their homes or watch parties. They were sent such equipment as a microphone, camera, and laptop, to ensure the broadcast would go smoothly. Winners received their awards from presenters in protective hazmat (hazard materials) suits made to look like tuxedos. The American television host Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event, sharing the stage with such actors as Jennifer Aniston, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jason Sudeikis.

The Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” dominated the comedy categories, making history for winning the most Emmys ever for a comedy in a single year. The show centers on the Rose family, a once-wealthy family that, because of a financial downturn, moves to a small town. The show ended its six-season run in April 2020. The Canadian actor Daniel Levy both created the show and played the family’s son, David Rose. Levy accepted several awards. In addition to outstanding comedy series, the accolades included outstanding writing for a comedy series, outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, and outstanding director for a comedy series. The Canadian actors Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara play the Rose parents, Johnny and Moira. They won for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, respectively. The Canadian actress Annie Murphy, who plays Alexis Rose, won outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series. “Schitt’s Creek” took home several other awards during the night.

“Watchmen” was the night’s other big winner, taking home more Emmys than any other show. Adapted from the DC comic series “Watchmen” (1986), the limited series explores such themes as racism and police brutality. The American actress Regina King plays the show’s main character, Angela Abar—also known as Sister Night. King won outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie. The American actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Abar’s husband. Abdul-Mateen II won for supporting actor in a limited series or movie. “Watchmen” also took home the award for outstanding limited series.

Other notable wins included the drama “Succession” winning outstanding drama series. The American actress, singer, and dancer Zendaya, at age 24, became the youngest person to win the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. In “Euphoria,” Zendaya plays Rue, a 17-year-old girl struggling with addiction.

The winners used their speeches to bring attention to such themes as racism, police brutality, and voting. For instance, King wore a shirt with the face of Breonna Taylor on it. In March, Taylor, an African American woman, was shot and killed by police officers executing a botched search. Other participants wore clothing with the words “Black Lives Matter.” Many winners encouraged people to vote in the upcoming elections.

September 20, 2016

Kit Harington stars as Jon Snow in the sixth season of the medieval fantasy television series, “Game of Thrones.” The show won a record 12 Emmy Awards for the second consecutive year in 2016.
Credit: © HBO

On Sunday, September 18, the 68th Emmy Awards were presented at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The awards recognized excellence in primetime programming and individual achievement for the 2015-2016 television season. Primetime refers to the evening hours, when television draws the most viewers. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents the awards. The live telecast on ABC featured awards in 26 categories. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the awards for the second time.

The Television Academy spread the awards among a dozen networks and streaming services, illustrating the variety of sources offering quality television programming. Including the Emmy Creative Arts Awards presented earlier in September, HBO’s epic medieval fantasy series, “Game of Thrones,” won a record 12 awards for a fictional series for the second consecutive year, including best drama, best directing, and best writing for a drama series. The series, which began airing in 2011, has won 38 total Emmy Awards, the most for a fictional television program to date. The comedy show “Frasier” (1993-2004) held the previous record of 37.

FX’s crime anthology, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, won five awards. The miniseries chronicled the infamous 1994-1995 O. J. Simpson murder trial and was based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson (1997). The miniseries won best limited series and best writing for a limited series. Sarah Paulson won best lead actress for her portrayal of prosecuting attorney Marcia Clark; Courtney B. Vance won best lead actor for his portrayal of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran; and Sterling K. Brown won best supporting actor for his portrayal of prosecuting attorney Christopher Darden.

HBO’s political satire “Veep” won best comedy series for the second year in a row. Julia Louis-Dreyfus made history by winning her fifth consecutive Emmy for her role as a vice president of the United States who becomes president. Jeffrey Tambor repeated as best actor in a comedy for Amazon’s “Transparent,” about a middle-aged father who decides to live his life as a transgender woman. In his acceptance speech, Tambor encouraged the television industry to offer more opportunities to the transgender community. The show also won for best directing for a comedy series.

Rami Malek won best lead actor in a drama for the USA Network psychological thriller,”Mr. Robot.” Tatiana Maslany won best lead actress in a drama for the BBC America science-fiction series, “Orphan Black.” Maggie Smith won her third Emmy for her portrayal of Violet Crawley, the dowager-countess of Grantham, in the British television series “Downton Abbey” (2010-2015). HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won best variety talk series and Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” won best variety sketch series.

In contrast to the lack of diversity among nominees at the Academy Awards earlier this year, 25 percent of this year’s Emmy nominations went to people of color.

Other Behind the Headlines posts

• A History-Making Primetime Emmy Awards Night (Sept. 22, 2015)
• Megastar Monday: The 88th Academy Awards (Feb. 29, 2016)

Sept. 22, 2015

The 67th Emmy Awards were presented at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The awards recognize excellence in primetime programming and individual achievement for the 2014-2015 television season. Primetime refers to the evening hours, when television draws the most viewers. The live telecast on the Fox network featured awards in 26 categories. Actor and comedian Andy Samberg hosted the awards for the first time. The telecast featured appearances and performances by Lady Gaga, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, James Cordon, Jimmy Kimmel, Gina Rodriguez, and LL Cool J.

Viola Davis, center, received an Emmy Award for her performance as a charismatic criminal defense law professor in “How to Get Away with Murder.” Davis became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series. Credit: Mitchell Haaseth, ABC

HBO was the night’s big winner. The cable network won a total of 14 Emmy Awards—more than all the other networks and streaming services combined. Its epic medieval fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” which began airing in 2011, won its first best drama award. The series also won Emmys for writing, directing, and for supporting actor Peter Dinklage. Dinklage portrays the scorned heir to a powerful family who is forced to survive by his wits. It was the actor’s second Emmy Award for the show. Including the Emmy Creative Arts Awards presented on Sept. 12, 2015, “Game of Thrones” won a total of 12 Emmys in 2015, the most ever by a series in a single year. HBO’s political comedy “Veep” won for best comedy for the first time. The show, which began airing in 2012, had been shut out for the last five years by the popular ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fourth Emmy in a row for “Veep” as an underestimated vice president of the United States who becomes president. Tony Hale, who portrays the character’s loyal aide, won for best supporting actor. “Veep” also won a writing award. The HBO miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” won six awards. It was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout about 25 years in the life of a harsh but witty retired Maine schoolteacher. The series won every award in its category, including best limited series (formerly best miniseries). Frances McDormand won for best actress as the title character, Richard Jenkins won for best actor as Olive’s kindly pharmacist husband, Bill Murray won as best supporting actor as a lonely widower befriended by Olive, Lisa Cholodenko won as director, and Jane Anderson won as screenwriter.

Jon Hamm won his first Emmy for his role as 1960′s boozing, womanizing advertising executive Don Draper on AMC’s “Mad Men.” The show, which began airing in 2007, wrapped up its run in May 2015. Viola Davis became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series, for her performance as a charismatic criminal defense law professor in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” Jeffrey Tambor won as best actor in a comedy for Amazon’s groundbreaking series “Transparent,” about a middle-aged father who decides to live his life as a transgender woman. Comedian and actress Amy Schumer won an Emmy for best variety sketch series for her Comedy Central show “Inside Amy Schumer.” “The Daily Show” won Emmys for best variety talk series and for its director, Chuck O’Neill. In August, Jon Stewart stepped down after 16 years as host of the show. He will be succeeded later this month by South African comedian Trevor Noah.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences makes awards for nighttime television. The first Emmys were awarded for programs telecast in 1948.