Dreamgirls Trophy Darling Jennifer Hudson Adds Oscar to Mantel

Jennifer Hudson won a 2007 Academy Award in the category of Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Effie White in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit Dreamgirls. Although it was nominated for eight awards, the film only took home one other, for achievement in sound mixing.

"I have to take this moment in," a teary Hudson said at the podium. "I can't believe this." She went on to dedicate the award to her late grandmother: "She was my biggest inspiration. She was a singer. She had the passion for it but she never had the chance and that was the thing that pushed me forward to continue." Hudson also acknowledged the movie's "genius" director Bill Condon, the "unbelievable" cast and Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie on Broadway.

The darling of awards season, in addition to the Oscar, Hudson won a Golden Globe award, a Screen Actors Guild award, a BAFTA the British equivalent to the Oscars, a Broadcast Film Critics Association award, a National Board of Review award, a New York Film Critics Circle award and various other regional film critics awards.

Broadway composer Henry Krieger was nominated for three of the songs that he composed for the film with various other songwriters, but lost in the category of Best Original Song to Melissa Etheridge, who contributed the song "I Need To Wake Up" to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Dreamgirls, which was first released in select movie theaters on December 15, 2006, has grossed $100 million in U.S. box office so far, with another $19 million earned in foreign release. It is the 4th highest grossing movie musical ever, behind Grease, Chicago and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.