Jennifer Hudson Releases First Holiday Album 'The Gift of Love'

History’s youngest female EGOT-winner Jennifer Hudson captures the magic of the holiday season on her Interscope Records debut, The Gift of Love, now available. With her effortless range and melodic tone, the genre-defying vocalist brings to life seasonal favorites like “O Holy Night,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Auld Lang Syne” alongside originals that bring fresh meaning to the holidays. 

To celebrate the album’s release, she will host a special episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” packed with holiday fun. Check HERE for times and channels. Next week, Hudson will appear on “SHERRI” and “CBS This Morning.”

The festivities will continue with The Gift of Love: An Intimate Live Experience, which launches on November 24 at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. This special series of performances will also bring the two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist, Academy Award-winning actress, and Tony and Emmy Award-winning producer to The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Visit JenniferHudson.world for additional information.

Hudson has joined forces with Hallmark to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Countdown to Christmas programming event and Hallmark’s 2024 Joy to Your World holiday campaign, which launches today. The campaign will feature “Let There Be Joy,” an exclusive original song from Hudson. Songs from The Gift of Love will also appear in upcoming Hallmark holiday programming.

The Gift of Love includes “Carol of the Bells,” featuring The Joy, a South African quintet known for their blend of traditional Zulu music and modern a cappella. Hudson also collaborates with fellow GRAMMY® Award winner Common for the original song “Almost Christmas” and, to fans’ delight, finally records her stunning take on “Hallelujah.” Ryan Tedder served as Executive Producer of the album and produced several tracks. Hudson additionally teamed with producers David Foster, Greg Phillinganes, Kirk Franklin, James Poyser, Fede Vindver, Peer Åström; and co-writers including Michael Pollack and J Kash.

In the cover story of the September issue of ESSENCE, Hudson confesses to being a “holiday fanatic” and talks about how making the album fulfilled a career-long goal. Read HERE.

The Gift of Love: An Intimate Live Experience

November 24  Brooklyn, NY               Kings Theatre

December 13  Chicago, IL                 The Chicago Theatre

December 18  Los Angeles, CA         Walt Disney Concert Hall

December 21  Las Vegas, NV            Fontainebleau

December 22  Las Vegas, NV            Fontainebleau

From humble beginnings, Hudson began singing in a small Chicago church where, week after week, she brought the congregation to its feet. From there, she’s gone on to become the youngest female EGOT winner in history. Hudson earned an Oscar for her role as “Effie” in the 2007 smash hit Dreamgirls, an adaptation of the Broadway musical. It was the first of many film roles, which have included the lead in the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, which she executive produced.

Hudson won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Album for her 2008 self-titled debut. Her sophomore album, I Remember Me, followed in 2011 and debuted in the upper reaches of the Billboard 200 like its predecessor. 2014’s JHUD contained the GRAMMY-nominated “It’s Your World,” “Walk It Out” and “I Still Love You.”

She made her Broadway debut as Shug Avery in 2015 in the Tony award-winning production of John Doyle’s re-imagination of “The Color Purple.” Hudson earned her second GRAMMY award when the accompanying album took honors for Best Musical Theater Album. In 2022, she won a Tony Award as co-producer on “A Strange Loop,” which was named Best Musical.

Hudson has also had a prominent television career. She earned an Emmy Award for her role as executive producer of the short VR film, “Baba Yaga.” In this modern adaptation of a classic fairytale, Hudson voiced the role of Forest, alongside Kate Winslet, Glenn Close, and Daisy Ridley. Her one-hour nationally syndicated talk show, “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” debuted in 2022 and has been honored with a total of ten Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Photo Credit: Greg Swales