Jennifer Hudson Cements Her Icon Status After Accepting 2022 NAACP Entertainer Of The Year
Give that lady all of your R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Jennifer Hudson is reminding the world that she has an Academy Award and a Grammy for a reason. And now, Hudson is about to add even more hardware to her trophy closet after being declared the “Entertainer of the Year” at the 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards during the live broadcast of the show on Saturday, February 26 on BET.
The prestigious honor was introduced in a recorded message by actor Morgan Freeman who compared Hudson and the four other nominees (Regina King, Lil Nas X, Megan the Stallion and Tiffany Haddish) to the great artists of the past who broke the mold with their tenacity, ingenuity, and creativity.
After naming a shocked Hudson as the winner, the actress/singer walked out on stage, gathered her thoughts, and proclaimed that it was there that she once “watched so many legends and icons that inspired me.”
She went on to thank the NAACP and those who paved the way for her saying, “Now, I’m standing here holding an award like this. It’s because of seeing the Arethas, the Patti LaBelles, the Halle Berrys, all these legends right here on this stand that inspired me.”
Hudson portrayed the late Aretha Franklin in the biographic musical drama, “RESPECT,” which debuted in theaters in mid-August 2021. Franklin hand-picked Hudson for the role after first meeting her in 2007.
It was a grand evening for the Chicago born Hudson who graciously took home two trophies Saturday night after also winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
