AlthoughWickedled this year’s nominations at the Academy Awards, the musical was defeated in all major categories — but this makes it considerably easier to predict howWicked 2will fare at next year’s ceremony. Interestingly,Wickedachieved a huge featby becoming one of the most nominated films at the 97th Academy Awards. This included 10 nominations across a number of categories, including: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Editing, as well as Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
That being said,Wickedwas not one of the majorwinners at the 2025 Oscars. In fact,Wickedonly swept two of its nominated categories — withAnoraemerging as the clear victor at the 97th ceremony.Jon M. Chu’s musical triumphed in the Best Costume and Production Design nominations, which is reasonable given thatWickedwas the clear standout in both leagues. However, the losses of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Eviro in the prominent categories were met with significant disappointment among some audiences, which meansWicked: For Goodhas a major challenge ahead at the 98th Academy Awards next year.
Why Wicked Didn’t Win Any Of The Biggest Awards At The Oscars 2025
From the outset,Wickedwas not well poised for success at the Oscars 2025. In relation to Best Picture, it was unlikely thatWickedwould win against the likes ofAnoraorConclave. The musical became something of a phenomenon during its release, and it was filmed on an incredibly large scale in comparison to its competitors. This mostly made it a non-starter in the leading category, as there’s a tendency for the ceremony to neglect major blockbustersin favor of independent work. Not to mention, only10 musicals have previously won at the Oscars.
In terms of Best Actress and Supporting Actress,the competition was simply too strong this year for Grande or Eviro to emerge as victors. Although Grande’s loss was challenging to reconcile with, the performance by Zoe Saldaña was one that was extremely unlikely to beat, even in the face of the widespread controversy surroundingEmiliaPérez.In addition to this,Eviro’s defeat was anticipated to some degree.Anora’s Mikey Madison andThe Substance’s Demi Moore were heavily favored to win in the main category, which only became even more pronounced followingAnora’s complete victory across the board.
Which Nominations Wicked 2 Is Likely To Get: Our Early Predictions
It Is Likely Wicked 2 Will Repeat In Many Below-The-Line Categories
Considering the nature ofWicked: For Good, it seems more than reasonable to assume that it will be likely to repeat nominations in several of the minor categories.Wickedhas given us a rather good picture of what to expect from the final chapter, which means nominations for Best Visual Effects, Costume, and Production Design are very likely. Moreover, considering the upcoming movie’s scope and major narrative expansion, these elements strongly suggest a potential nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. However, a number of categories will depend upon the competition during the 98th ceremony — such as the Best Editing category.
After Ariana Grande’s Oscars 2025 Defeat, I’m Not Confident In Her Winning For Wicked 2 Based On Oscars History
It will be a lot harder for Ariana Grande to win the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for the upcoming Wicked 2 after losing this year.
There’s good reason to assume thatWicked: For Goodis likely to receive nominations for Best Sound, and potentially Best Score. Given the film’s expansion of the stage production, we can expect a proportion of songs inWicked 2to be brand new, which should make them strong contenders for a nomination for Best Original Song. Despite this, the most challenging aspect ofWicked 2is repeating its three biggest nominations forBest Picture in 2026and performances. In the Academy’s history,only 12 sequels have been nominated for Best Picture, and repeat nominations for best performance are equally uncommon.
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actress
However, these will more than likely hinge on how the competition plays out, as well as the overall quality ofWicked: For Good. It is difficult to call at this stage, but part one has definitely given us some of the much bigger, and more defining moments, of the musical — such as “Defying Gravity.” Ultimately, this means it could be incredibly difficult for Part Two to replicate and repeat the success of last year’sWicked.
Which Categories Wicked: For Good Has A Strong Chance Of Winning At The Oscars 2026
Wicked Will Face Another Uphill Battle At The Oscars In 2026
Fundamentally, it is most plausible for the sequelto duplicate its win in the Best Costume and Best Production Design categories. However,Wicked Part Twostill has an incredibly difficult task securing this victory due to its immense anticipation — which meansWicked: For Goodwill face even greater scrutiny its second time round. This could negatively impact its chances at the Oscars 2026. The chances of its success in other categories will increase with less competition, which is particularly the case for Best Original Song and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Only a truly spectacular effort fromWicked: For Goodwill allow it to triumph over such strong contenders and break through in these major categories.
However, there are already a great number of films that will pose a significant threat toWicked: For Good.For instance,Avatar: Fire & Ash,as well asFrankensteinandBugoniaare just a few of the features that are going to be incredibly strong in the Academy’s technical categories, so it is logical to surmise thatWicked’s wins in these technical categories are not guaranteed. Only a truly spectacular effort fromWicked: For Goodwill allow it to triumph over such strong contenders and break through in these major categories.
