Jennifer Hudson, the star ofDreamgirls, will receive the BreakthroughPerformance Award at the 18th annual Palm Springs International FilmFestival awards gala on Jan 13, 2007.

Hudson, a runner-up on TV's AmericanIdol, will also perform at the galaevent. The newcomer, who plays Effie White in the film, recently won a GoldenGlobe nomination for her performance.

She joins other honorees atthe gala who include Kate Winslet, Todd Field, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, AdamBeach and Jessica Biel.