American Idol fourth-season champion Carrie Underwood and third-season finalist Jennifer Hudson have been announced as performers at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

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Underwood and Hudson -- who have four Grammy nominations at the night's ceremony betweeen them -- join Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, and Katy Perry as other acts who will perform at the awards show, which will air live on Sunday, February 8 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.

Hudson's Grammy performance will be the latest in a string of upcoming appearances for the singer, who had secluded herself from the public in the wake of the murders of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in October. In addition to performing at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala on February 6, the singer will also perform the national anthem to kick off Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, FL on Sunday, February 1 on NBC.

Hudson's self-titled debut album, which was released in September, led all Idol alums with three Grammy nominations at the ceremony. Her self titled debut was nominated for Best R&B Album while "Spotlight," one of the album's singles, received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

"I'm Only His Woman," a second "Jennifer Hudson" album song that Hudson recorded with Barrino, her former fellow third-season Idol competitor who won the show's third season, also received a nomination for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.
 
Hudson has never personally won a Grammy, although "Love You I Do" -- which was written by Siedah Garrett and Henry Krieger and performed by Hudson in the film Dreamgirls -- won Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media honors at last year's ceremony.  However, because the category is considered a songwriters award, the win went to Garrett and Krieger, the song's writers, instead of Hudson.

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A similar situation also happened this year with "Spotlight" -- which was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Shaffer Smith -- also receiving a nomination for the Best R&B Song songwriters award.

Underwood -- who has won three Grammys in the past two years -- was nominated for one more award this year. "Last Name," a single off of her sophomore album "Carnival Ride," was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Like Hudson's "Spotlight," "Ever Ever After" -- a song Underwood recorded for the soundtrack of the Disney film Enchanted -- also received a nomination for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television, Or Other Visual Media. However, since the category is a songwriters award, the nomination went to Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, the song's writers.






About The Author: John Bracchitta
John Bracchitta is an entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and covers the reality TV genre.