Jennifer Hudson and her former Dreamgirls costar Beyoncé looked as radiant as ever as they reunited at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on Monday.
Nearly two decades after starring in their 2006 hit film, adapted from the Broadway musical, the singer, 42, showed her support for her longtime pal, who received the iHeartRadio Innovator Award.
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She continued: ‘Congratulations on such a well deserved recognition! Love u @Beyonce!!!’
In addition to sharing an image of them standing side-by-side with their arms around each other, Hudson uploaded a video of them hugging backstage.
Jennifer Hudson and her former Dreamgirls costar Beyoncé looked as radiant as ever as they reunited at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on Monday
The duo starred as Effie White and Deena Jones in the 2006 hit film, Dreamgirls, adapted from the Broadway musical
In the video, the mother-of-three, 42, made a beeline toward Hudson and greeted her by saying: ‘Hi beautiful!’
The Texas Hold ‘Em hitmaker proceeded to compliment Hudson’s Believe duet with Cher.
Hudson’s comment section was flooded with sweet messages from fans, including many referring to them as ‘two living legends.’
‘What’s Better than One QUEEN … TWO,’ another wrote.
A third joked: ‘Fine I’ll go watch dream girls for the 5,000 time in the past years lol.’
A handful also referred to them by their character names from Dreamgirls, Effie White and Deena Jones.
While accepting the Innovator Award, Beyoncé urged the music industry to be ‘more open to joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions.’
After accepting the award from Stevie Wonder, she said: ‘Innovation starts with a dream but then you have to execute that dream and that road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is seeing what everyone believes is impossible.
In addition to sharing an image of them standing side-by-side with their arms around each other, Hudson uploaded a video of them hugging backstage
Hudson’s comment section was flooded with sweet messages from fans, including many referring to them as ‘two living legends’
‘Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength. Being an innovator is leaning on faith and trusting that God will catch you and guide you.
‘So, to all the record labels, every radio station, every awards show, my hope is that we’re more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions.
‘I want to dedicate this award to all the innovators who have dedicated their lives in their art to creating shifts. So thank you for your sacrifices, your powerful voices, and your dauntless spirits.
‘Thank you to Rosetta Tharpe, Miss Tracy Chapman, Linda Martel, Prince, Stevie Wonder, André 3000, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and so many more who defied any label placed upon them. Thank you for executing your dream so we could all follow. And thank you for my team at Parkwood, y’all work so hard and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
She then thanked her ‘rock’, her husband Jay-Z, and their three children, Blue Ivy, 12, and six-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
‘My husband, my rock, my best friend, I love you. My three beautiful children who continue to be my inspiration and my biggest blessing.’
The was being honored in the wake of her record-breaking release of her album Cowboy Carter, a sequel of sorts to her chart-topping Renaissance and her first album to feature several country-styled songs.
While accepting the Innovator Award, Beyoncé urged the music industry to be ‘more open to joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions’ (seen Monday)
After accepting the award from Stevie Wonder, she said: ‘Innovation starts with a dream but then you have to execute that dream and that road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is seeing what everyone believes is impossible
‘I want to dedicate this award to all the innovators who have dedicated their lives in their art to creating shifts. So thank you for your sacrifices, your powerful voices, and your dauntless spirits,’ she gushed during her speech
As he introduced Beyoncé, Stevie sang her praises while listing some of her earlier iconic accomplishments, including her 2013 self-titled visual album, her 2016 album Lemonade — which was accompanied by a feature-length film of the same name — and her 2022 chart-topper Renaissance, along with a collaborative LP with her husband Jay-Z, a Lion King soundtrack and two acclaimed concert films.
At the start of her speech, she told Wonder: ‘I love you’ and ‘I honor you.’
‘I want to thank you for making a way for all of us,’ she told him, adding, ‘Whenever anyone asks me if there’s anything I can listen to for the rest of my life, It’s always you.’
She also shared that Wonder had recently helped her out on her Cowboy Carter album by playing the harmonica on her rewritten cover of Dolly Parton’s country classic Jolene.
