Many major films from 2024 were nominated for the 2025 Oscars, including Wicked. The film, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, had a special night on Sunday, March 2, 2025, receiving recognition not only through nominations but also with a special performance by its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. They performed songs from the Oz universe, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Home,” and fan favorite “Defying Gravity.” Their performance was an emotional highlight, moving their co-star Michelle Yeoh to tears.
The film has touched many hearts, including Ariana’s. During a podcast interview on Las Culturistas, she reflected on her love for musical theater, saying, “I’m gonna say something so scary — it’s gonna scare the absolute s— out of my fans and everyone, but I love them, and they’ll deal, and we’ll be here forever. I’m always going to make music, I’m always going to go on stage, I’m always going to do pop stuff, I pinky promise. But I don’t think doing it at the rate I’ve been doing it for the past 10 years is where I see the next 10 years.”
The film received 10 nominations at the 2025 Oscars, including Best Picture, Costume Design, Editing, Visual Effects, Sound, Original Score, Hair and Makeup Styling, and Production Design. Cynthia was nominated for Best Actress, while Ariana was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Out of its 10 nominations, Wicked won two Oscars—Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Paul Tazewell made history by becoming the first Black man to win Best Costume Design. In his acceptance speech, he said, “This is absolutely astounding. Thank you, Academy, for this very significant honor. I’m the first Black man to receive a costume design award for my work on Wicked.” He continued, “Thank you everyone in the U.K. for all your beautiful work. I could not have done this without you. And to my Oz-ian muses, Cynthia and Ariana, I love you so much.”
Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her role in Anora.
Zoë Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Perez.
