The stars of “Song Sung Blue” received the inaugural Gotham Musical Tribute.

Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman kicked off awards season with a bang, accepting the Gotham Awards’ first-ever Musical Tribute for their roles in “Song Sung Blue.” The film, which hits theaters on December 25, 2025, follows husband-and-wife musicians Mike and Claire Sardina, who formed a Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder in the 1980s.

Hudson, 46, and Jackman, 56, spoke exclusively with PEOPLE on the red carpet in New York City on December 1 about what they learned from working together.

Kate Hudson on Hugh Jackman: The Power of Connection

Hudson praised her co-star’s ability to connect with people on and off stage.

“Hugh, his superpower is to connect,” she said. “Whether it’s on stage, whether it’s on set, whether it’s with anyone and everyone — he just wants to connect and he wants to make sure that everyone’s happy. I learned that one of the great gifts you can give people is that you actually have a desire to connect to them.”

She added that Jackman’s generosity is almost like that of a masseuse, constantly giving energy to others while also needing energy for himself.

Hugh Jackman on Kate Hudson: Prepared Yet Instinctive

Jackman returned the compliment, highlighting Hudson’s acting skills and instinctive approach to filmmaking.

“I’ve done almost 50 films, but somehow, working with Kate — it’s a very difficult thing to describe but the mixture of being prepared and just being instinctive is a really fine line and no one does it better than Kate Hudson,” he said.

He also credited her with teaching him about picking your battles on set, citing moments where she advocated for key changes in the movie despite timing challenges.

“When Kate Hudson says, ‘I think this is a mistake, I think we should go left and not right,’ everyone stops and listens,” Jackman added.

Oscar Buzz Already Brewing

Hudson is already generating Oscar buzz for her role, though she remained humble about the awards season.

“You never know with these things. I’ve been around now long enough to know just to enjoy that people are really loving the movie,” she told PEOPLE, laughing. “And just, you know, show up to where they tell me to go.”

About “Song Sung Blue”

Alongside Hudson and Jackman, the film stars Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi. It celebrates Neil Diamond’s music and brings his timeless hits to life on the big screen.

“Song Sung Blue” opens in theaters December 25, 2025.