# Jennifer Hudson
**Jennifer Hudson** (born Jennifer Kate Hudson, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer and actress who rose to fame as a seventh-place finalist on the third season of *American Idol* in 2004 and went on to win an Academy Award for her role in *[Dreamgirls](https://www.edgepedia.org/dreamgirls-film)* (2006) and, by 2022, to complete the EGOT, the sweep of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007006595) • [2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) • [3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981, Chicago, Illinois[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007006595) |
| Breakthrough | Seventh-place finalist on *American Idol* season 3 (2004)[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) |
| Signature acting role | Effie White in *Dreamgirls* (2006): Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) |
| EGOT | Grammy 2009 (Best R&B Album), Emmy 2021 (*Baba Yaga*), Tony 2022 (*A Strange Loop*); youngest woman and third African-American to achieve it[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) |
| Studio albums | *Jennifer Hudson* (2008), *I Remember Me* (2011), *JHUD* (2014), the *Respect* soundtrack (2021), *The Gift of Love* (2024)[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) |
| Talk show | *The Jennifer Hudson Show*, syndicated since 2022, with 10 Daytime Emmy nominations as of 2024[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/) |
| Best Hot 100 peak as lead artist | "Spotlight," number 24 (2008); Billboard lists zero Top 10 hits as a lead artist[5](https://www.billboard.com/artist/jennifer-hudson/) |
## Early life and education
Hudson grew up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago's South Side and began singing in her church choir as a child.[6](https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/27/jennifer.hudson.profile/index.html) [Gospel music](https://www.edgepedia.org/gospel-music) was a formative influence; she sang often in church in childhood with an extended family of vocalists, and her grandmother was the youngest of 11 siblings.[7](https://www.grammy.com/news/grammy-hall-of-fame-inspirations-jennifer-hudson/) She stayed with singing through Chicago's Dunbar Vocational High School, where a Jennifer Hudson Room now exists.[6](https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/27/jennifer.hudson.profile/index.html)
Before television, she worked in professional singing jobs: a Chicago-area dinner-theater production of *Big River*, a cruise line, and the Disney Wonder cruise ship, where she played one of the muses from the animated film *Hercules*.[6](https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/27/jennifer.hudson.profile/index.html) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) She has also said she worked at [Burger King](https://www.edgepedia.org/burger-king) earlier in her working life.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jan/06/jennifer-hudson-q-and-a-interview-the-voice)
## American Idol and breakthrough
In 2003 Hudson auditioned for *American Idol* in Atlanta, Georgia, singing "Easy to be Hard," the ballad from *Hair* popularized by [Three Dog Night](https://www.edgepedia.org/three-dog-night).[6](https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/27/jennifer.hudson.profile/index.html) She won a spot on the third season in 2004 alongside eventual winner Fantasia Barrino, and was a strong contender and fan favorite from the start.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) Her elimination came after a rendition of "Weekend in New England" that, despite acclaim from the judges, left her in seventh place.[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
## Acting career and Dreamgirls
Her role as Effie White in the 2006 film version of *Dreamgirls* brought her the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for the role.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) In 2021 she portrayed [Aretha Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/aretha-franklin) in the biopic *Respect*, with a Grammy-nominated soundtrack.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) On Broadway, she made her debut in *The Color Purple* in 2015 and performed 290 shows in the revival without missing one.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jan/06/jennifer-hudson-q-and-a-interview-the-voice) • [3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
## Music career
Her self-titled debut album, released in 2008 on Arista/J Records and led by the [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40) hit "Spotlight," debuted at number two on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200 and won the Grammy for Best R&B Album.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) *I Remember Me* (Arista, 2011) also debuted at number two, in March 2011, and the groove-heavy *JHUD* (RCA, September 2014) debuted at number ten.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) On the Hot 100, "Spotlight" peaked at number 24, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" at number 60, "If This Isn't Love" at number 63, and "Where You At" at number 64; [Iggy Azalea](https://www.edgepedia.org/iggy-azalea)'s "Trouble," featuring Hudson, reached number 67 in April 2015.[5](https://www.billboard.com/artist/jennifer-hudson/)
She has performed on major stages: "You Pulled Me Through" at the 51st [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards), and a tribute to [Whitney Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/whitney-houston) with "I Will Always Love You" at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/) Weeks after the legal proceedings following the murders of her mother, brother, and nephew, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) in 2012.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jul/27/-sp-jennifer-hudson-the-only-constant-is-my-voice-grief) During promotion of her debut album she was sidelined by those murders, committed by her brother-in-law.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129)
## Television: The Voice and The Jennifer Hudson Show
Hudson joined [The Voice UK](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-voice-uk) as a coach for its sixth series in 2017, the year she signed with Epic and released her first two singles for the label, and moved to the U.S. version of *The Voice* in 2018.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) In 2022 she launched her own syndicated talk show, *The Jennifer Hudson Show*, which had received 10 Daytime Emmy nominations by 2024 and was in its third season that year.[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
## Awards and EGOT
She won her first Grammy in 2009 for her debut album, an Emmy in 2021 for producing the animated short *Baba Yaga*, and a Tony in 2022 for producing the musical *A Strange Loop*, completing her EGOT.[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/) These accolades made her the youngest woman and the third African-American to achieve EGOT status.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) Her second Grammy came from *The Color Purple*, for Best Musical Theater Album.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) In 2008 she and her sister Julia founded the Julian D. King Gift Foundation, in honor of her nephew.[2](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/)
## Insight: an Idol alumnus who outgrew the chart
The shape of Hudson's career is unusual among *American Idol* alumni. She finished seventh in the same season Fantasia Barrino won,[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) and Billboard lists her with zero Top 10 Hot 100 hits as a lead artist, with "Spotlight" at number 24 as her best peak.[5](https://www.billboard.com/artist/jennifer-hudson/) Yet the same career produced an Academy Award for her role in *Dreamgirls*, two Grammys, an Emmy, and a Tony.
## What has changed since 2023
Before signing with Interscope in 2024, Hudson released a single on Epic, an update of [Ashford & Simpson](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashford-and-simpson)'s "Ain't No High Enough," and voiced "All I Need" for the soundtrack of the 2023 film *The Color Purple*.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) Under the new Interscope deal she released her first studio album since 2014, the Christmas album *The Gift of Love*, released October 18, 2024, on which she performed traditional material such as "Winter Wonderland," "Little Drummer Boy," and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with contributions from [David Foster](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-foster), Kirk Franklin, and [Ryan Tedder](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-tedder), and was joined by Common on "Almost Christmas."[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129) She has also become a producer on the Broadway musical *SMASH*, in addition to *A Strange Loop*, while her talk show continued into its third season.[3](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
## References
1. [Hudson, Jennifer, 1981- — LC Linked Data Service, Library of Congress](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007006595)
2. [Jennifer Hudson Grammy Awards and Nominations, Song & Bio, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jennifer-hudson/10872/)
3. [Jennifer Hudson Has Done It All, And That Now Includes A Christmas Album, Recording Academy (2024)](https://www.grammy.com/news/jennifer-hudson-interview-christmas-album-gift-love/)
4. [Jennifer Hudson — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jennifer-hudson-mn0000266129)
5. [Jennifer Hudson | Biography, Music & News, Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/artist/jennifer-hudson/)
6. [Jennifer Hudson worked her way up, CNN (2008)](https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/10/27/jennifer.hudson.profile/index.html)
7. [GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations: Jennifer Hudson, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/news/grammy-hall-of-fame-inspirations-jennifer-hudson/)
8. [Jennifer Hudson: 'I've loved all my jobs, even when I worked at Burger King', The Guardian (2018)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jan/06/jennifer-hudson-q-and-a-interview-the-voice)
9. [Jennifer Hudson: the only constant is my voice, The Guardian (2014)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jul/27/-sp-jennifer-hudson-the-only-constant-is-my-voice-grief)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 1990s and 2000s › R&B singers of the 2000s › Surnames A to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license