Jennifer Hudson Promises ‘23 More Years’ in Daytime as She Accepts NAB Show Award

April 18, 2024 @ 11:55 AM

Jennifer Hudson promised 23 more years in daytime television in her acceptance speech for the Television Chairman’s Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.

She expressed her hopes that “Television and daytime television continue to prevail years and years from now, for the next generations.” Hudson nodded to the fact that, while her show’s just two years in, she’s ready to keep it going for a quarter-century.

“So much more to come ’cause, y’all, we still got 23 more years to go. I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” she addressed the audience before belting out her iconic “Dreamgirls” line, “You’re gonna love me,” from the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”

The ceremony took place Tuesday morning during the NAB trade show‘s “We Are Broadcasters” session.

The NAB TV Chairman’s Award celebrates groundbreaking work from individuals in a variety of television art disciplines. First presented in 2009 to four-time Emmy-winning actor Kelsey Grammer, other winners have included actor Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us,” “Black Panther,” “American Fiction”), Kristen Bell (“The Good Place,” “Veronica Mars”), Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Expendables”) and Emmy-winning host Mario Lopez.

“Jennifer Hudson is in a league of her own,” Warner Bros. Television Group chairman/CEO Channing Dungey said. “She is an inspiring force, an expert in her craft, and continues to prove her talent has no bounds and there is no limit to what she can achieve. We are honored to be her creative home and congratulate her on this prestigious award.”

“Jennifer Hudson’s distinguished career spans multiple facets of the entertainment industry, from television to music to the big screen and beyond, and makes her well deserving of this award,” NAB Television Board Chair Pat LaPlatney said. “I am honored to present her with the NAB TV Chairman’s Award during the NAB Show in recognition of her outstanding work.”

Hudson became the youngest female EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner in 2022 when she won a Tony for producing the Best Musical-winning show, “A Strange Loop.”