Oscars blasted by fans over 'insane' snub: 'They have been rigged!'

Ms Grande, 32, had been widely tipped for a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of Glinda, while Ms Erivo was expected to contend for Best Actress.

At the 2025 Oscars, Ms Grande lost out to Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez, while Ms Erivo was beaten by Mikey Madison for her role in Anora.

This year, however, Wicked: For Good failed to secure a single nomination across any category, a sharp contrast to the original film, which earned ten nominations at the 2025 Academy Awards and won two.

Despite opening in cinemas in November 2025 with a record-breaking £120 million debut weekend in North America, the biggest ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, the sequel’s commercial success failed to sway Academy voters.

Ms Erivo’s omission follows a similar disappointment at January’s Critics Choice Awards, where she was overlooked, although Ms Grande did receive a nomination.

Both actresses were also nominated at the Golden Globes, but neither took home a trophy.

Fans of the pop star were quick to vent their frustration online.

“Ariana Grande, I’m so sorry the film industry has snubbed you again,” one user wrote on X.

Another fumed: “She gave the best supporting performance of the year — rigged.”

Others branded the decision a “robbery”, while some accused the Oscars of using Ms Grande’s presence at last year’s ceremony to boost ratings before “paying her dust”.

Nominees competing for Best Supporting Actress include Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Amy Madigan for Weapons, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners dominated the nominations, securing a record-breaking 16 nods, the most in Oscar history, surpassing the previous record of 14 jointly held by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land.

However, One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, remains the favourite for Best Picture after sweeping much of the awards season, finishing with 13 nominations.

Meanwhile, Marty Supreme performed strongly overall, although Gwyneth Paltrow missed out on an acting nomination.

Conan O’Brien will host the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with the ceremony broadcast live on ITV from midnight.

The snubs add to growing debate over whether blockbuster musical adaptations are being sidelined in favour of darker, prestige-led dramas.

With Wicked: For Good failing to register despite its box office dominance, questions have been raised over how much commercial success now matters to Academy voters.

The omission also risks alienating younger audiences who helped drive last year’s ratings surge.

As anticipation builds towards March’s ceremony, the absence of two of the year’s most talked-about performances is likely to remain a flashpoint.

For fans of Wicked, the awards season has ended in disappointment rather than defiance.

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