I was very ecstatic to see Jennifer Hudson win one of the most coveted Golden Globe awards – Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. She had some tough competition from veteran actresses Cate Blanchett (my all-time favourite) and Emily Blunt. As a relative newcomer in the entertainment industry, Jennifer Hudson came armed with a lot of raw talent and determination. I am sure we will be seeing her name in the official list of Oscar nominees.

Jennifer Hudson’s next television appearance will be at the 28th annual United Negro College Fund (UNCF) An Evening Of Stars (R) Tribute to Aretha Franklin where she will be performing two of Aretha’s best-known hits, “Think” and “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”.

This all-star telecast celebrating The Queen of Soul will air nationally on January 27th and 28th. It is marked as a historic event, as it is the first ever to showcase performances from a Golden Globe Winner (Jennifer Hudson) and seven 2007 Grammy nominees – Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone, Al Jarreau, Kiki Sheard, Smokey Robinson and Natalie Cole.

“We are very proud of all the Grammy nominees,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., president and CEO of UNCF. “And especially pleased for Ms. Hudson and her Golden Globe Award. There was no doubt in our minds when we invited her to appear on AEOS that we had a superstar in our midst,” he continued. “The entire lineup is a group full of talent who share UNCF’s commitment to providing educational opportunities to young men and women who are longer on potential than on resources.”

An Evening Of Stars(R) first aired in 1979 and has raised over 200 million for the UNCF to supplement the cost of higher education for scholarship recipients and member institutions. Past show performers include all time favourites Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patti LaBelle.