Movie fans are you wondering if Cynthia Erivo nabbed that golden statue for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked? The buzz was HUGE for the movie musical and especially for Erivo's performance. Well the 97th Academy Awards have come and gone so let's get right to it and find out if Wicked had a victorious night and if Cynthia added an Oscar to her trophy shelf!
Wicked's Oscar Tally: Did the Movie Musical Clean Up at the 2025 Oscars?
Wicked went into the 2025 Oscars with a whopping 10 nominations. That's right TEN! It was up for some major awards including Best Picture Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande. Fans were hopeful it would be a big night for the Emerald City crew.
The movie was also nominated in a bunch of other categories showing love for all aspects of the film. We're talking Best Costume Design Best Production Design Best Original Score Best Visual Effects Best Editing and Best Sound and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. That's a lot of potential wins!
So how did Wicked actually do? Drumroll please... Wicked took home TWO Oscars! Not too shabby! The movie won for:
- Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
- Best Production Design: Lee Sandeles and Nathan Crowley
And get this Paul Tazewell's win for Best Costume Design was a real landmark moment! He made history as the first Black man ever to win an Oscar in that category. That's seriously awesome!
Cynthia Erivo's Oscar Journey: Nominated for Best Actress But Did She Win?
Now for the big question everyone is asking: Did Cynthia Erivo win Best Actress? Sadly no. While she was nominated for her incredible performance as Elphaba the Oscar for Best Actress went to Mikey Madison for her role in Anora.
This was not Cynthia's first time at the Oscar rodeo. She was actually double-nominated back in 2019 for her work in Harriet in both Best Actress and Best Original Song. She didn't win then either but hey getting nominated multiple times is still a huge achievement!
Winning an Oscar would have been extra special for Cynthia because she is on the path to EGOT status meaning she's already won an Emmy a Grammy and a Tony Award. An Oscar would complete the set! She was even in the running to be the youngest EGOT winner ever if she had won this year. Unfortunately that record remains safe for now but there is always next time!
Wicked Stars Light Up the Oscars Stage: Ariana and Cynthia's Show-Stopping Performances
Even though Wicked didn't win all the Oscars fans might have hoped for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande still had a chance to shine bright at the ceremony. The two stars opened the whole show with a medley of iconic musical numbers and it was fantastic!
Ariana Grande kicked things off with a beautiful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz. Then Cynthia Erivo took the stage with a powerful performance of "Home" from The Wiz. And to top it all off they joined forces for a duet of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked itself. It was a truly gravity-defying start to the Oscars and a chance for Cynthia and Ariana to show off their amazing voices.
Wicked Part Two: Could 2026 Be Cynthia's Oscar Year?
Don't count Cynthia Erivo out just yet! Even though she missed out on the Best Actress Oscar this year there is still hope for the future. Wicked is actually just "Part One" of a two-part movie series. Wicked: For Good the second chapter is set to be released in theaters next year.
This means Cynthia Ariana and even director Jon M. Chu could all be back in the Oscar conversation in 2026! Maybe next year will be Cynthia Erivo's year to finally grab that Oscar and maybe even complete her EGOT journey. Fingers crossed for Wicked: For Good!
Wicked's Oscar Wins - Quick List:
- Best Costume Design
- Best Production Design
So No Oscar for Elphaba (This Time!) But Wicked Still Had a Magical Night
To sum it all up while Cynthia Erivo did not win the Best Actress Oscar for Wicked the movie still had a pretty great night at the 2025 Academy Awards. It took home two well-deserved Oscars for Costume and Production Design and Cynthia and Ariana totally slayed their opening performance. And hey there is always Wicked: Part Two to look forward to! The dream of an Oscar for Cynthia and more wins for Wicked might just come true next year!