Ariana Grande has been front and centre this season, starring in the highly-anticipated second Wicked instalment, Wicked: For Good.
The star-studded two-part film series has seen the pop star earn critical acclaim for her supporting actress role, with the 32-year-old earning 2025 Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award nominations for her performance in the first instalment.
And with 2026 award season already seeing her nominated for a Critics Choice Award, a SAG Award and a Golden Globe, Grande has become one of the most celebrated actresses in the world.
However, while Grande is tipped as an award season frontrunner, receiving ‘Supporting Actress’ nominations across the board so far for her role as Glinda, her co-star Cynthia Erivo has been seemingly snubbed.
Erivo, who starred as lead role Elphaba in the film series, has missed out on 2026 nominations at the Critics Choice Awards and SAG Awards so far. And while the 39-year-old actress has kept a dignified silence around the apparent snubs, Grande spoke out about the situation this week.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Thank You, Next singer came to her co-star’s defence when asked about her thoughts on the snubs, opening up about the situation in a recent interview with Variety.
“Cynthia’s performance is the most truthful, vulnerable and fierce Elphaba we’ve seen, and it will be referenced and adored for generations,” Grande stated. “That can’t be taken away.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Wicked: For Good director Jon M Chu has also received snubs this award season, missing out on a nomination at the Directors Guild of America Awards and most recently the British Academy Film Awards, with the 2026 BAFTA longlist revealed this weekend.
“There aren’t enough flowers on this earth for Jon M Chu,” Grande added of her Wicked director. “He’s an extraordinary human being and director.”
She continued: “This film will be watched for decades to come. He set out to move people, to challenge them, to make them better allies and better humans – and he succeeded.”
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“The impact of his work and Cynthia’s Elphaba is undeniable,” she later concluded. “That’s why I say every good thing that happens to me belongs to them, too. None of this exists in isolation. We informed each other every single day. Of course, it’s hard – they deserve all the flowers this world can grow.”
Well, this is lovely.