The magic of Wicked: For Good is already creating its spell for awards season! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal decided that Cynthia Erivo will campaign for Best Actress while Ariana Grande will go for Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Oscars. The duo play Elphaba and Glinda in the Wicked sequel, following the same footsteps that earned them nominations for the Critics’ Choice, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Awards last year.
Cynthia Erivo will be campaigned in Lead Actress and Ariana Grande in Supporting Actress for ‘Wicked: For Good.’
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— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 10, 2025
This sequel, with Jon M. Chu still at the director’s helm, is set to hit theaters on November 21, and the studio has decided that its screen time doesn’t warrant a category shift. It’s a strategic move, since films rarely score two Best Actress nominations in the same year. This also marks a different move from the original Broadway musical 20 years ago. Back then, Indian Menzel (Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda) both competed in the best actress in musical category, both received nominations, and Idina ended up winning.
If Cynthia Erivo wins, she’ll achieve EGOT status, joining the ranks of legends who’ve conquered Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony territory. Ariana Grande would snag her second Oscar nomination, having already won two Grammy Awards in 2018 and 2021.
