Wicked: For Good's Lack of Nominations is a Shocker, But it Shouldn't Be

If you can't believe that Act 2 of Wicked won't get a single Oscar, you haven't been paying attention.

If you are one of the Kalshi betters who thought that a second Oscar nomination for Ariana Grande was a sure thing, your pocket might be hurting this morning. The Oscar nominations were announced on January 22nd, and the pop princess was not one of the five women nominated for Best Supporting Actress. If you are an Arianator who has tunnel vision on Wicked, you probably see this as a grave injustice, as Grande's weepy performance in Wicked: For Good was one of the strongest elements of the film. If you've seen Sinners, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Weapons, you're probably not at all surprised that Grande was left off the list. Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value was the wildcard nomination, presumably in the 5th spot. Her portrayal of a good actress who tried and ultimately failed to be the right fit for a role written for someone else was a standout performance in a movie that also featured three other Oscar-worthy performances.

It's not necessarily that shocking that Ariana Grande was left off the Best Supporting Actress nominations, considering 2025 was such a strong year in that category. What's more surprising is that Wicked: For Good did not manage to snag a single nomination in any category. This snub comes after Wicked Part 1 earned 10 nominations last year. The production and costume design were not nominated, even after winning both of those categories at the 2025 Oscars. Neither of Stephen Schwartz's bad new songs for Elphaba and Glinda was nominated for Best Original Song, and hallelujah because those were about as Oscar-baity and forgettable as Beautiful Ghosts from Cats.

Wicked: For Good is not the only “Part 2” of a big blockbuster to do worse than its predecessor this year. Avatar: Fire and Ash also underperformed at the Oscars three years after Avatar: Way of the Water. Way of the Water and Fire, and Ash are basically one narrative split into two movies. While Way of the Water earned a Best Picture nomination, Fire and Ash merely got Visual Effects and Costume Design nods. The latter is particularly questionable, given that no Avatar movie has ever received a costume design nomination. Was Spider's breathing mask really that compelling?

Spider in 'Avatar: The Way of Water'

Any movie that's a less-good continuation of the previous movie is bound to receive less awards buzz. It probably didn't help Wicked: For Good that Wicked was utterly inescapable during last year's awards season. Every awards show had some kind of big Wicked tribute, and continuing said celebration into this year's awards ceremony would've been tiresome for everyone involved.

While the Oscars don't always get everything right, it's refreshing to see them not reward mediocrity just because they awarded something similar and great last year. Much like the Broadway show, the first half of the Wicked movie will always be remembered as the half that's worth watching, while the second half remains an embarrassing addendum.