Mary J. Blige delivers a standout performance in Dee Rees’ “Mudbound,” and the nine-time Grammy winner is set to be recognized for her supporting role in the Southern epic. Blige will receive the Breakthrough Performance Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), a press release has announced.

“Mudbound” follows two men as they return home to Mississippi from WWII: Ronsel (Jason Mitchell) and Jamie (Garrett Hedlund). The former is black and the latter is white, and while they bond over their shared experiences abroad, they are welcomed back to very different circumstances in the United States. Blige is unrecognizable in her role as Florence, Ronsel’s mother.

Previous recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jennifer Hudson.

“Mary J. Blige is a global superstar in the world of music who continues to make her mark as an actress in both television and film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her current film ‘Mudbound,’ Blige gives a quiet yet fantastic performance as Florence Jackson, a strong woman supporting her sharecropper family in rural Mississippi.”

“Mary’s able to affect this reserved exterior, but have this very empathetic, alive interior,” “Mudbound” director and co-writer Rees has said. “Her eyes always are thinking, you can see the wheels turning. There isn’t this flatness — she has this duality, she can do the affectation and underneath have the real thing.”

Blige will receive the honor January 2 at PSIFF’s awards gala. The music superstar’s other acting credits include “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” “Rock of Ages,” and “How to Get Away with Murder.” She’s earning Oscar buzz for her performance in “Mudbound.”

PSIFF runs from January 2–15. Other awardees include Saoirse Ronan (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Holly Hunter (Career Achievement Award), Jessica Chastain (Chairman’s Award), Allison Janney (Spotlight Award-Actress), and Gal Gadot (Rising Star Award).