Despite the fierce competition at the2025 Oscars, Ariana Grande’s impressive performance inWickedmakes her deserving of the Best Supporting Actress award. The recent announcement of the2025 Oscars nominationsrevealed some exciting surprises and unfortunate snubs in many categories, but overall, the Best Supporting Actress category was quite strong. In the upcoming March awards ceremony, Ariana Grande will be competing against Monica Barbero, Felicity Jones, Isabella Rossellini, and Zoe Saldaña in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Ariana Grande’s toughest competition will likely come from Zoe Saldaña, givenEmilia Pérez’s current success, but Grande’s performance still deserves the win. Following its November release,Wickedhas become one of the most financially and culturally successful movies of the year, even winning a Golden Globe to affirm that. The entirecast ofWickedgave phenomenal performances, and they have received numerous nominations, even beyond the Oscars for both Cynthia Erivo and Grande, proving Grande is more than deserving of the win.
Ariana Grande’s Performance In Wicked Was A Breakthrough For Her Career
It Proves She Is More Than Just A Pop Star
Though Grande began her career as an actor on the Nickelodeon showsVictoriousandSam & Cat, she was certainly not considered a major actor prior toWicked. Grande had held smaller roles in comedy shows and movies, but she was largely known as a pop star. Given her musical career’s success, her singing abilities were never in question, buther role inWickedproved once and for all that she can act as well as sing.
Her great embodiment of Glinda is effortlessly combined with her impressive songs, proving that Grande truly gives one of the best performances of the year.
Not only doesWickedprove that Ariana Grande is great at singing and acting, but her performance actually proves thatGlinda is the highlight of the film. While Cynthia Erivo is equally talented at singing and acting,there is just something about Grande’s performance as Glinda that has elevated the character to a new level. Grande’s Glinda is perfectly funny and self-involved while still maintaining an emotional sincerity and likability. Her great embodiment of Glinda is effortlessly combined with her impressive songs, proving that Grande truly gives one of the best performances of the year.
How Ariana Grande Has Performed At Oscars Precursors
She Has Received Numerous Other Nominations
While none of the Oscars precursors are an exact predictor of who will win at the Oscars, they often serve as very good indicators of who will be nominated and win. Luckily forWickedfans,Ariana Grande andWickedas a whole have been nominated for awards at all the major Oscars precursors and have won several. FollowingWicked’srelease, Grande’s performance was awarded by many of the smaller critics' circles throughout the US, which placed it in a great position to be nominated for larger awards as well.
Won - in collaboration with Cynthia Erivo
Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Pending
AsWicked’s awards support has gathered steam,Grande has been nominated at each of the biggest indicator ceremonies, including the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the BAFTA Awards. While Grande did not win the Golden Globe, her Oscars position could become more clear after the SAG Awards and the BAFTA Awards, which seem promising. Additionally, her success at the Astra Awards, the Satellite Awards, and her pending nomination at the Critics' Choice Awards all point in a positive direction, meaning that Grande’s Oscars results could be positive as well.
Best Supporting Actress Has A History Of Awarding Musical Performances
Supporting Actresses In Musicals Have Been Recognized Before
Not only is Ariana Grande well positioned at the Oscars due to her success at previous awards ceremonies, but the Oscars actually have a history of awarding Best Supporting Actress to performers in musicals. In the past 20 years, supporting actresses from musicals have won the Oscar three times. Jennifer Hudson won forDreamgirlsin 2007, Anne Hathaway won forLes Misérablesin 2013, and in 2022, Ariana DeBose won for her 2021 performance inWest Side Story.
The Biggest Obstacle To Ariana Grande Smashing A 51-Year-Old Oscars Record Is Wicked’s Big Musical Rival
Ariana Grande stands to break the record for the most screentime for a supporting actor winner, but Wicked’s rival Emilia Pérez stands in the way.
The previous three musical winners of Best Supporting Actress were all undeniably great in their roles, and Ariana Grande could be next. One thing that all three of the previous musical Best Supporting Actress winners have in common is how well they combined their acting performances with their songs. Unlike other nominated musicals whose songs can feel slightly disjointed from the overarching plot,Wicked’s songs flow seamlessly into the film and Grande’s portrayal of Glinda.
Wicked’s Oscars Standing Could Help Ariana Grande Win
The Movie Received 10 Nominations
With 10 nominations,Wickedis one of the most nominated movies this year, tying withThe Brutalistand falling three short ofEmilia Pérez’s 13 nominations. While some of its nominations seem less likely, some of them, such as Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, are likely to fall inWicked’s favor. The film’s likely success in several categories and stiff competition in several others is likely to keepWickedand, by extension, Ariana Grande on voters' minds.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
To this point,Wicked’s standing in the Best Picture race could actually benefit Ariana Grande as well.Wickedis not likely to win Best Picture, butEmilia Pérezcould. As the other big musical movie from 2024,Emilia Pérezis trulyWicked’s biggest competition, butif Oscar voters get tired of voting forEmilia Pérez,then Ariana Grande could gain the edge. Out of all ofWicked’s nominations, Ariana Grande’s is the biggest standout, meaning that if any category could be taken fromEmilia Pérez, Best Supporting Actress feels like the most likely.
Ariana Grande Would Be The Popular Choice To Win Best Supporting Actress
Her Performance Has A Lot Of Fan Support
As is evident fromWicked’s Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award at the Golden Globes, it is by far one of the most popular and successful movies of 2024. This makes Ariana Grande the most famous name in the biggest movie of the year. Grande winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar would be a massive accomplishment, and she undoubtedly has the most public support behind her. In addition to her actual performance in the movie,Grande has grown even more popular throughoutWicked’s press tour, which could have a big effect on Oscars voting.
As a result of such a successful press tour and social media presence, Ariana Grande is the most popular Best Supporting Actress contender.
Wickedwas popular as a Broadway show, butGrande and Erivo’s performances and subsequent press tour have been unrivaled by any other 2024 film. TheWickedstars' interviews have enjoyed viral success in past months, and Universal’s campaign for Erivo and Grande will likely only intensify in the coming weeks. As a result of such a successful press tour and social media presence, Ariana Grande is the most popular Best Supporting Actress contender. In addition to such public support, big campaigns have certainly helped nominees win with voters in the past.
Why Ariana Grande Should Win Best Supporting Actress At The Oscars
She Is The All-Around Best Choice
Though all the 2025 Best Supporting Actress nominees gave great performances, Ariana Grande deserves to win the award.Grande’s performance inWickedexceeded all expectationsand proved that she had the acting talent to match her musical popularity. Grande reinvented the well-known character, Glinda, and made it her own while still remaining faithful to the best aspects of earlier Broadway portrayals. She was funny, likable, and surprisingly complex.
Wicked 2’s New Songs Set Up A Cythnia Erivo & Ariana Grande Awards Competition Next Year
The reveal that Wicked: For Good will include new songs sung by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande could create some friendly competition between them.
On top of Grande’s performance itself, which is more than enough to secure the win, she also has an impressive amount of support going in. She has already won awards in critics' circles and has been nominated at all the biggest awards ceremonies. Likewise, from an audience standpoint, she is by far the most popular.Wickedhas seen an impressive box office and critical response that has exceeded other musical adaptations throughout Oscars history. When all the factors are combined, Ariana Grande should be the clear winner for Best Supporting Actress at the2025 Oscars.
Oscars
The Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards, is an annual awards show celebrating workers in the film industry for their artistic and technical abilities. The Oscars are often considered the most prestigious awards show in the industry and date back to 1929. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on June 24, 2025, and be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.
