After Sunday night's Tony Awards win, Jennifer Hudson officially became a member of the elite EGOT (or, Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tonys) squad.
This weekend, Hudson added the final jewel to her crown by earning the Tony to match her existing Emmy, Grammy and Oscar wins, making her the entertainment equivalent of Thanos. We know she’ll use her powers for good.
Hudson’s win came from her producer credit on A Strange Loop which was nominated for Best Musical and took the grand prize home last night. The musical follows a Black gay man named Usher, who works as an usher and it writing a musical about a Black gay man named Usher. If that all sounds a bit Droste, then you get the point. The hard-to-follow storyline follows Usher as he’s “caught in a self-referential loop of self-hatred,” as described by Michael R. Jackson, the show creator.
Loved by critics and fans alike, A Strange Loop opened nearly three years ago in June 2019 and finally got its time in the limelight at the first Tonys since COVID. The Tonys’ return was packed with unforgettable moments — Hudson’s EGOT, of course, but also Ariana Dubose's performance saw the actress sit directly on Andrew Garfield as she belted for the audience... I don’t know who I’m more jealous of.
Hudson's win for A Strange Loop made her the 17th EGOT-er in history, and the second-ever Black woman to receive the honor, just following Whoopi Goldberg's completed prize in 2002. Hudson is in the company of Goldberg, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber and countless industry giants.
The ever-humble Hudson's previous wins include a Daytime Emmy for her role executive producing Baby Yaga, two Grammys for The Color Purple and her debut self-titled album and an Oscar for best-supporting actress in Dreamgirls.
Photo via Getty/ Kevin Mazur