NEW YORK — Renee Zellweger is known for acting but you could easily write a thesis about her love for music.
The entertainer won her second Academy Award for portraying Judy Garland in last year’s “Judy,” for which Zellweger did her own singing in front of live audiences. She was praised for her performance in 2002’s “Chicago.” And she’s an avid concertgoer and live-music appreciator who jumped up and down in her gown when Eminem surprised the audience at last year’s Oscars and despite being an A-list star, sneaks out to concerts just to get her music fix.
She’s also a card-carrying member of the Beyhive.
“She raises the bar when it comes to work ethic. I admire with her that if she’s going to do it, she’s knocking it into the stratosphere or she’s not going to do it,” said Zellweger, who gushed over Beyonce’s groundbreaking performance at the 2005 Oscars. “She was the north star on that one … She’s the one carrying that gift we’re all so blessed to experience in one way or another.”
So it should be no surprise — unless you’re Zellweger — that she’s earned her first Grammy nomination this year. The “Judy” soundtrack, which features Zellweger covering songs like “Over the Rainbow” and “The Trolley Song,” is nominated for best traditional pop vocal album — an award Tony Bennett has won a dozen times.