Good news! ‘Wicked’ has already been shortlisted for 4 Oscars, which can only mean one thing

In the best news to come out of Oz since the proclamation of Elphaba’s death, Wicked is leading the charge with multiple mentions in the Academy’s shortlists for the upcoming 97th Oscars ceremony.

Before you get your pastel pink wands in a twist, the shortlists are a precursor to the actual nominations, with the awards body set to whittle down its list of contenders in key categories ahead of the official nominee reveals in January. In layman’s terms, the Oscars shortlists are the equivalent of mid-term exams for awards contenders, and Wicked just received passing grades while being extremely “Popular” to boot. The movie musical appeared four times in the categories currently open for shortlists, landing mentions for Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. 

Given that it’s an adaption of a beloved Broadway show set in a make-believe world of impossibly chic hair (besides Boq), Wicked was always considered a shoo-in for those specific categories, and its chances of appearing in those places again with the Academy’s official, narrowed-down nominations seem pretty high. Since only the shortlists for those four categories — plus animated short film, documentary feature, documentary short, international feature, and live action short — have been revealed, we don’t yet know whether Wicked will be nominated for categories like Best Picture or Best Actress(es), but fans will continue campaigning for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande nonetheless. 

For what it’s worth, the two stars — who play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively — have a pretty good chance of at least appearing on the Oscars shortlists in acting categories, since their roles have been enjoying awards circuit success in recent weeks. Erivo and Grande scored nods for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for the upcoming Golden Globes, and this was replicated with their nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Both those ceremonies lay the groundwork for Oscars glory, so neither actress is out of contention in the Oscars race just yet. 

While Wicked held space with four mentions in the Oscars shortlists, it was usurped by French crime drama Emilia Pérez, the Selena Gomez-starring musical that appeared six times across those aforementioned categories. Between those two titles and Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s been a big year for musical theater stans, but history buffs also got their time in the sun. Gladiator II wins not only for gifting us Paul Mescal scantily-clad in armor, but also in terms of its three shortlist mentions, including for visual effects and sound. 

Dune: Part Two, Alien: Romulus and The Wild Robot were also among the films to appear three times in the shortlists. Deadpool & Wolverine, meanwhile, was mentioned in the categories of Sound and Visual Effects, which in the case of that movie means points for bucketloads of gore and a dance number to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” 

Wicked has continued to gain momentum and buzz ahead of the official Oscar nomination announcements on January 17. Just this week, the film generated online chatter with the reveal of its title change for the upcoming second installment (needless to say, loud reactions ensued), while the extremely emotional press tour delivered us everything from viral memes to X-rated Barbie dolls. The 2025 Oscars ceremony will take place on March 3, with Conan O’Brian on board for hosting duties. In the meantime, find me holding so much space that my fingers are cramping up.