Singer and actress Ariana Grande has received one of the most prestigious honours of her career, securing an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in the highly anticipated film ‘Wicked’.
The movie garnered 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for co-star Cynthia Erivo.
Grande expressed her awe and gratitude at being recognized by the Academy, describing the honour as a surreal and life-changing experience.
Taking to her official Instagram handle, Ariana posted an emotional note thanking her fans, the film’s team and The Academy for the recognition.
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Sharing a carousel of pictures and videos from her childhood to growing up and being dressed as Glinda for ‘Wicked’, Ariana wrote, “picking my head up in between sobs to say thank you so much to @theacademy for this unfathomable recognition. i cannot stop crying, to no one’s surprise. I’m humbled and deeply honored to be in such brilliant company and sharing this with tiny ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow just before the big, beautiful bubble entered. I’m so proud of you, tiny.”
In her caption, she also added, “Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for this acknowledgement @theacademy. thank you @jonmchu for taking this chance on me and for being the most unbelievably brilliant leader, human being, and most fierce friend. I am so deeply proud of my beautiful Wicked family. I am so proud of my Elphie, my sister, my dear @cynthiaerivo. your brilliance is never ending and you deserve every flower (tulip) in every garden. I love you unconditionally, always. I don’t quite have all my words yet, I’m still trying to breathe. But thank you. Oh my goodness, thank you. Universal, Marc, my family, my heart. lemons and melons and pears, oh my.”
Fellow celebrities and fans were quick to drop congratulatory messages for the ‘Focus’ star.
Much to the excitement, Hailey Beiber wrote, “Ahhhhhhhh!!!! Yes!!!!!”
John Legend also congratulated the ‘Wicked’ star and wrote, “Congratulations Ari!!!”
Ariana Grande also expressed her gratitude for the recognition in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter saying, “I can’t believe it. It’s very surreal,” adding, “It is just the absolute honour of my life. Getting to play Glinda was the greatest gift of my life, so just to be recognized in this way for that is an unfathomable honour. And I’m so deeply moved and grateful, and it is far beyond comprehension.”
Grande’s nomination comes after more than two decades of dreaming about the iconic role. The 30-year-old performer revealed that she had long desired to take on the role of the good witch, Glinda, and her dreams were realized when she was cast in the film.
Following the announcement of the nominations, Grande shared her thoughts with her ‘Wicked’ co-star Cynthia Erivo, who also earned a nomination for her portrayal of Elphaba, as well as the film’s director, Jon M. Chu.
Despite ‘Wicked’ receiving multiple nominations, Chu was notably absent from the Best Director category, a snub that Grande found particularly emotional.
“I’ve been voice-noting with Cynthia, and I’ve been FaceTiming with Jon, who is just such an incredible, incredible human being,” Grande shared, adding, “And all of this feels like a celebration of our family and of him because it starts from the top and trickles all the way down… I look forward to Jon receiving more and more flowers in the future because what he’s done is irrevocable and is once in a lifetime, and has solidified his spot as one of the best directors in the world.”
Grande’s sentiments for Chu were heartfelt, as she emphasized that despite his extensive achievements, she believes his best work is still ahead of him.
“Even though he is one of the most decorated and amazing directors in the world, it still feels like just the beginning,” she said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
While the Oscar nominations have come as a surprise to the star, she reflected on a moment during the Australian premiere of the film that hinted at the audience’s deep connection with the film.
“From our very first day, I knew it was special,” Grande said, adding, “But I think when we were sitting at the premiere in Australia together, Cynthia and I, and the audience clapped when we hugged in the Ozdust ballroom scene, that was when I knew, ‘okay, maybe it feels for them how it’s felt for us this whole time.'”
Grande, who was also nominated for a Golden Globe for the role of Glinda, spoke fondly of the journey leading up to the film’s release.
“We weren’t expecting them to clap at that, or to anything,” she said, reflecting on how the cast had kept the project under wraps for so long.
“It’s been our secret for such a long time. So you never know when you’re so close to something how it’s going to go when it’s finally shared with millions of others,” she said.
Before the Oscar nomination Grande was previously nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in ‘Wicked’, marking her first-ever Golden Globe nomination.
