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Why ‘Wicked: For Good’ Was Completely Shut Out of the 2026 Academy Awards
One year after Wicked racked up 10 Oscar nominations, its sequel couldn’t crack the Academy’s radar.
The highly anticipated sequel to Jon M. Chu’s movie musical was completely shut out of the 2026 Academy Awards, a surprising turn after Wicked (2024) earned a massive 10 Oscar nominations last year, including Best Picture. Despite strong box office numbers and high expectations, Wicked: For Good failed to land a single nomination this time around.
Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were both snubbed in the lead and supporting actress categories, respectively. The Best Actress nominees included Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) and Emma Stone (Bugonia). Supporting Actress contenders were Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another).
Both Erivo and Grande were Oscar nominees last year for their performances in Wicked. However, neither took home a win. Mikey Madison won Best Actress over Erivo for Anora, while Zoe Saldaña beat Grande for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez.
This year’s shutout follows a bumpy awards-season path for Wicked: For Good. Erivo failed to receive a Critics Choice nomination, though Grande was recognized there, and both actresses earned Golden Globe nods. Ultimately, Rose Byrne won Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) over Erivo at the Globes, while Teyana Taylor took home Supporting Actress over Grande.
The film also struggled with critics, despite opening 30 percent higher domestically than its predecessor. While some reviews were lukewarm, Wicked: For Good still proved to be a financial win for Universal Pictures. Together, the Wicked films have earned nearly $1.3 billion worldwide.
The project also missed out at the SAG Awards, where Erivo was ignored entirely and the cast ensemble nomination — which the first film received — was absent.
Still, Universal isn’t closing the door on the franchise just yet. “Because of ‘Wicked’s’ success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe,” studio chief marketing officer Michael Moses told Vulture. “Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway.”
Conan O’Brien will host the 2026 Oscars live on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
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