Taraji P. Henson stays in the awards picture

Taraji P. Henson brings the brightest star wattage — and longest history of major awards contention — to “The Color Purple” movie musical and could score a 2024 supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role as glamorous blues singer Shug Avery.

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A “Purple” nomination would be Henson’s second. She was nominated for her supporting performance as the adoptive mother of Brad Pitt’s aging-backward character in 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

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Henson has received four Emmy nominations — two as drama series lead for her indelible music mogul/mom Cookie Lyon on Fox’s “Empire,” one as miniseries/movie lead of the 2011 Lifetime movie “Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story” and …

2023

... an outstanding comedy guest actress nomination for her role as teacher Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) ebullient mother on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.”

2016-17

Henson’s biggest awards so far have been a lead actress in a television drama Golden Globe for “Empire,” and the Screen Actors Guild cast award the following year for the film “Hidden Figures.”

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Henson’s total SAG nominations include one for film ensemble for her 2005 big-screen breakout “Hustle & Flow,” in which her sex worker character also was called Shug and also sang.

1985

Henson could become the second actor to play Shug Avery to be nominated for an Academy Award: Margaret Avery received a supporting nomination for the 1985 “Color Purple” movie.

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Henson and Margaret Avery both acted in the Henson-led 2018 action film “Proud Mary” — alongside Danny Glover, the original “Mister” from the 1985 “Color Purple.”