She said she once sang it to him after she sang another song and he asked if she knew anything else.
The singer made the moving gesture at the Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Thursday, where she collected a prize for best TV personality.
Tribute: Nicole Scherzinger sang a rendition of This Little Light Of Mine
Big night: The X Factor judge picked up a prize for best TV personality a the ceremony
The former Pussycat Dolls star was not the only winner from the ITV talent show as the 2011 champs Little Mix were named best exports.
They triumphed at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women Of The Year Awards which were staged at the V&A Museum in London and hosted by Fearne Cotton.
Chart-topping singer Ellie Goulding took the music star prize while fellow pop act Paloma Faith was named style icon.
Winner: Ellie Goulding said she was delighted to have won an award for Ultimate Music star
Ellie said: 'I am surprised but very happy - it is such an honour to win this. I have only won one Brit Award but I've been nominated for a few.
'I felt like the people who went up before me were so inspirational and so f**king cool, that I feel slightly inadequate, but at the same time i feel like I have come a long way and this is the real tip of my journey now.'
She added that she credits running as a positive influence in her life and said that she has run five half-marathons and is considering running one next year.
Ultimate exports: Little Mix won a prize at the Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards
She's a winner: Paloma Faith won Best Icon at the awards
She said: 'I started running like Forrest Gump when i was 18. I went out running one day and never stopped. It has transformed my life as I don't really think about anything when I run and it is the one time when I am by myself and I don't think of songs.'
I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! presenters Ant and Dec were given the ultimate men prize in recognition of their years as top TV entertainers.
The pair sent an acceptance speech filmed in Australia as they worked on their ITV show this week.
Dec Donnelly said: ‘We just want to say how thrilled, excited, honoured and randy we are to be your men of the year. It's quite a thrill for us isn't it?’
Ultimate icon: Jameela Jamil wore a black and yellow outfit as she collected an award
Floral: Fearne Cotton attends the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards at the Victoria & Albert Museum
Body art: Sarah Harding shows off her tattoo collection in a strapless gown at the awards
Looking good: Caroline Flack attended the event wearing a blue dress with an orange belt
And Ant McPartlin went on: ‘We were going to celebrate but unfortunately you didn't send us the award.’
After being handed a makeshift version featuring two nude figures with fig leaves, Dec added: ‘You know, we're not gay, we're just friends.’
More than 400 guests were attending the bash which also recognised Baroness Doreen Lawrence who was given the editor's choice and saw Sheridan Smith given the UK actress prize.
Meanwhile, the Daily Star reports that Nicole’s on-off boyfriend Lewis Hamilton is planning to propose in the New Year.
A source told the paper: ‘Lewis was doing all the chasing.
‘Nicole only agreed to take him back on the condition that they tie the knot next year.’
Nicole is thought to be planning on leaving The X Factor after the current series. She lost her third and final act, Tamera Foster, last weekend.
