Ariana Grande Secures Rare Back-to-Back Golden Globe Nod for ‘Wicked’ Glinda Role

Ariana Grande earned a second consecutive Golden Globe nomination for portraying Glinda in the ‘Wicked’ films. This marks an uncommon achievement, as few performers receive nods for the same character across two years at the awards. The recognition underscores her vocal and dramatic range in the musical adaptation of the Broadway hit.

The nomination falls in the Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Musical or Comedy category. Grande’s prior nod came for the first ‘Wicked’ installment, released in November 2024, which grossed over $635 million worldwide against a $150 million budget. That film adapted the first act of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s stage musical, focusing on the pre-‘Wizard of Oz’ friendship between Glinda and Elphaba.

Production on the two-part series streamlined filming to minimize reshoots. Director Jon M. Chu shot principal photography for both movies consecutively from December 2022 to January 2024 in London. Crews captured scenes from ‘Wicked: For Good’—the sequel set for November 2025 release—intermingled with the original, including dual takes of the “Defying Gravity” sequence on the same sets.

Grande described the honor as unexpected during a Variety interview. “You don’t expect something like this,” she said, adding that the back-to-back process deepened her immersion in Glinda’s arc. The character evolves from a bubbly socialite to a more conflicted figure in the second film, grappling with political fallout in Emerald City after Elphaba’s defiance.

The Golden Globes, organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, announced 2025 nominees on December 8 for the January 5 ceremony at the Beverly Hilton. Grande competes against Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the same category, alongside entries like Lady Gaga for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ and Zendaya for ‘Challengers’. ‘Wicked’ secured six total nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

This dual nod highlights Grande’s transition from pop stardom to screen acting. Her film debut in ‘Don’t Look Up’ (2021) preceded ‘Wicked’, where she underwent six months of vocal training to handle the score’s demands. Co-star Cynthia Erivo, nominated for her Elphaba role, praised Grande’s commitment during joint press, noting their on-set chemistry mirrored the characters’ bond.

The awards body reformed after 2021 controversies over diversity and ethics, expanding to 300 international voters. Past back-to-back nominees include Meryl Streep for ‘Sophie’s Choice’ and ‘Silkwood’, but Grande’s feat for a single role stands out in the musical genre. Producers Marc Platt and David Stone emphasized the films’ fidelity to the 1987 stage original, which has earned over $5 billion in global ticket sales.

‘Wicked: For Good’ shifts focus to Glinda’s perspective, exploring darker themes of power and loyalty. Filming wrapped with complex sequences like the pink bubble dress finale, shot in practical sets at Sky Studios Elstree. Universal Pictures, which distributed the first film, projects the sequel to open domestically on over 4,000 screens.

Grande’s nomination boosts her awards profile amid a busy slate. She released her seventh album, ‘Eternal Sunshine’, in March 2024, featuring the hit “Yes, And?” that debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The singer-actress balance echoes predecessors like Barbra Streisand, who won a Globe for ‘Funny Girl’ in 1969.

Fan reactions flooded social media post-announcement, with #WickedNoms trending worldwide. The films’ success revitalized interest in Oz lore, spawning merchandise lines grossing $200 million. As voting closes December 15, Grande’s repeat recognition cements ‘Wicked’ as a frontrunner, potentially setting up Oscar contention in March 2026.