Jennifer Hudson once sang, “You’re gonna love me.” She was right.
The actress and singer received her first Tony Award on Sunday as a co-producer for ‘A Strange Loop’, which won the prize for best musical. With it, she sealed her status as the newest member of the EGOT club.
An EGOT is someone who has won each of the four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
Hudson began her EGOT journey in 2007 with an Oscar for best supporting actress as the effervescent Effie White in ‘Dreamgirls.’ Next was a Grammy for best R&B album for her self-titled debut in 2009 (followed up eight years later with a win for ‘The Color Purple,’ the 2017 best musical theatre album). And just last year, she was honoured with a Daytime Emmy for best interactive media as an executive producer for ‘Baba Yaga,’ a virtual-reality animated film.
Hudson joins a select group of 16 other celebrities who have reached EGOT status, starting with composer Richard Rogers in 1962 and including famed artists such as actress Rita Moreno and singer John Legend.
She is only the second Black woman to join the EGOT elites; she joins Whoopi Goldberg, who became a member of the esteemed group in 2002. Hudson, 40, is also the third-youngest EGOT winner, and the first who was a former ‘American Idol’ contestant.
Although Hudson didn’t win Season 3 of the singing competition show, her distinctive, soulful vocals have carried her career. She’s been no stranger to sweeping awards for her powerhouse performances.
In addition to her Academy Award, she clinched a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award and a BAFTA (Britain’s equivalent to the Oscars) for her acting debut in ‘Dreamgirls.’ She also received multiple NAACP Image Awards over the years, including two for her portrayal as Aretha Franklin in the movie musical “Respect” - a role Hudson was handpicked to play by Franklin herself.
