Kate Hudson is officially back in the Oscar race. The 46-year-old actress has earned a Best Actress nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards for her performance in Song Sung Blue, marking a powerful return to the Academy’s top acting category.

She joins a highly competitive field that includes Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).

The nomination carries special significance for Hudson, who was last nominated in 2001 for her iconic role as Penny Lane in Almost Famous. That year, the Oscar went to Marcia Gay Harden for Pollock, but Hudson’s performance became a defining moment of her career.

The actress shared her joy on social media as nominations were being announced, posting a video of herself learning the news while on FaceTime with family members. “What a beautiful morning,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo with her mother, Goldie Hawn, the Oscar-winning actress who took home Best Supporting Actress in 1970.

In the emotional clip, Hudson can be heard exclaiming, “Oh my God, I’m so happy!” Hawn later followed up with a heartfelt message celebrating her daughter’s achievement, calling it a moment of pride and love.

Hudson’s nomination comes for Song Sung Blue, in which she stars opposite Hugh Jackman as half of a once-faded musical duo attempting a comeback. Performing classic Neil Diamond songs under the name “Lightning & Thunder,” the film blends nostalgia, ambition, and second chances—much like Hudson’s own return to Oscar contention.