The sequel to the hit musical Wicked, titled Wicked: For Good, was completely shut out of the 2026 Academy Awards nominations, despite the original film earning 10 nods the previous year. In contrast, Sinners set a new record with the most Oscar nominations ever. The announcement highlights shifting voter preferences for sequels and musicals.
The 2026 Oscar nominations, unveiled on January 22, 2026, marked a surprising turn for the Wicked franchise. While the first film, Wicked, secured 10 nominations in 2025, including for best picture, its sequel, Wicked: For Good, received none. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, along with the film's technical contributors, were overlooked in all categories.
Variety outlined six reasons for the snub. First, the source material's second act is darker and more expository than the first, which featured memorable songs like "Defying Gravity." Broadway's original production even lost the Tony for best musical partly due to its finale. Second, reviews were mixed; Wicked: For Good holds a 66% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, down from the original's 88%, with The New Yorker calling it "Very, Very Bad."
Third, sequels rarely triumph at the Oscars. Though follow-ups like The Godfather Part II and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won best picture, many others, such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, were snubbed despite their predecessors' success. Fourth, box office performance dipped, with Wicked: For Good earning $523 million globally compared to Wicked's record $758 million for a Broadway adaptation.
Fifth, the new original songs—Erivo's "No Place Like Home" and Grande's "The Girl in the Bubble"—failed to resonate like the Broadway classics. Finally, the promotional campaign was subdued; unlike the first film's high-profile efforts, including Olympic appearances, the stars were promoted separately, and Erivo missed events due to theater preparations.
Meanwhile, Sinners broke records by receiving more nominations than All About Eve or La La Land, with director Ryan Coogler earning his first nods for directing and screenwriting.
