While Wicked: For Good was largely shut out of awards consideration this year, including lead actress Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande had scored Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations for her performance in the film.
Which is why her Oscar snub came as a shock to many, with many of the ‘Arianators’ expressing their disappointment regarding it.
Now, the Academy voters have given Grande’s dedicated fanbase another reason to bare their teeth, as they recently outlined some of the reasons behind the contested snub.
Sitting down for an anonymous conversation with NewsNation, an Oscar voter said, “The movie wasn’t that great. The two have amazing on-screen chemistry but spent most of the movie apart.”
While another added, “I was also just completely turned off by their promotional performances. They creeped a lot of people out and in their rush to feel authentic, came off as cosplaying.”
The anonymous sources further cited the duo’s joint “shenanigans” — like performing each other’s “aura reading” at the Wicked sequel’s premiere in Paris — while saying, “no one wanted to go through that again.”
Also citing the former Nickelodeon star’s “anxiety” and Erivo usually emerging as the one to shield her co-star from it, like she did when Grande was attacked at the film’s Singapore premiere, one of the voters said, “Think of it this way: We were protecting Ariana from her anxiety — and Cynthia from having to intervene. Again.”
The internet exploded with fury over the remarks, with several X (formerly called Twitter) users condemning the aforementioned reasons.
A few users additionally termed the snub a “smear campaign” against both of the stars, while the anonymity of the voters was also called into question.
Meanwhile, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo completed their run as Glinda and Elphaba respectively with Wicked: For Good, released in November 2025.
For the two-part franchise’s first installment, both of the actresses had scored multiple nominations, including Oscar nods for best actress (Erivo) and best supporting actress (Grande).
