Jennifer Hudson has performed a moving tribute to her “hero” Whitney Houston, in honour of her 1994 American Music Awards (AMAs) medley.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the AMAs, the televised special featured highlights from the ceremony over the years and performances from Mariah Carey, Nile Rodgers, Gladys Knight and Green Day.
In 1994, US singer and actress Houston performed a medley of I Loves You, Porgy plus And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going and I Have Nothing at the 21st awards show at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
During the ceremony, Houston won eight awards for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album.
Hudson honoured the medley during the anniversary special marking five decades of the awards show, performing I Loves You, Porgy and I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard, while wearing a similar black velvet dress to Hudson.
Introducing Hudson, Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson said: “Thirty years ago, Whitney Houston won eight of her total 22 American Music Awards, including the special award of merit.
“The same night, Whitney gave perhaps the most iconic performance ever on this show, the stunning medley she sang that night starting with songs from Porgy And Bess and ending with a hit from the global smash soundtrack of The Bodyguard.
“What a remarkable moment in the history of American Music Awards and in the life of the late Whitney Houston.”
He continued: “One of the millions of music lovers watching the AMAs that night in 1994 was a 12-year-old young lady in Chicago named Jennifer, who was so inspired by Whitney that she started to believe that she could raise her own voice someday.
“Here to honour her hero, Jennifer Hudson.”
Among the star-studded performances was Carey, who appeared on stage walking through a pink M to kick off the anniversary celebration of her 2005 album The Emancipation Of Mimi.
She sung We Belong Together, telling the audience “love you” at the end of her performance.
It comes just over a month after she announced the death of her mother and sister on the same day in a “tragic turn of events”.
Other performances saw Rodgers and Chic perform Le Freak before a rendition of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, while Green Day performed their 2024 hit Dilemma to celebrate the history of rock music at the AMAs.
Knight, who performed during the first AMAs in 1974, returned to the stage to perform Midnight Train to Georgia in a sparkling black jumpsuit.
Star presenters included actress Kate Hudson, comedian Cedric the Entertainer and soul singer Smokey Robinson, who hosted the first AMAs.
The two-hour special, broadcast on US network CBS, was filled with milestone musical moments.
The awards ceremony was created by veteran producer Dick Clark as a fan-based alternative to the Grammys.
The last AMAs aired in 2022 and saw Taylor Swift win six times, including artist of the year.
The annual AMAs ceremony will return in May 2025.
