Wicked Cost Itself A Guaranteed Oscar Nomination With 1 Decision That The Sequel Isn't Repeating

After premiering to incredible success at the end of 2024, Wicked could have secured itself an almost guaranteed Oscar nomination with a single addition that the sequel has already confirmed is happening. With $465 million under its belt, Wicked has proven to be one of the biggest movies of the year. Boasting a star-studded cast, outstanding musical performances, and vivid imagery, the movie has earned heaps of praise. Yet, even with all the love being thrown at Wicked right now, there is no guarantee that the film will earn award nominations come 2025, especially without one specific detail.

Wicked is eligible to take on just about any award, from Oscars to Golden Globes, yet the most obvious accolade the movie could have won is Best Original Song. As a musical, Wicked relies heavily on its soundtrack, and audiences have already fallen in love with the songs sung by the movie's leads, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Wicked has fantastic performances and some truly stunning visuals, but the music is where the film really shines. Unfortunately though, this award is already out of Wicked's hands because of one unique decision.

Wicked Isn't Eligible To Be Nominated For Best Original Song At The Oscars

Why Wicked Has No Original Songs

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Although Best Original Song would have been an ideal nomination for Wicked, the movie is ineligible for the category because the soundtrack does not include any original songs. Of the 12 songs on the movie's soundtrack, all of them are originally from the Wicked musical. Despite the fact that Wicked's cast adds their own spins to these songs, they are not newly written for the movie, and thus, do not count as original songs. Therefore, Wicked could rack up a number of nominations, but Best Original Song will not be one of them.

Title Singer “No One Mourns The Wicked (featuring Andy Nyman, Courtney Mae-Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke, & Jenna Boyd)” Ariana Grande “Dear Old Shiz (featuring Ariana Grande)” Shiz University Choir “The Wizard & I (featuring Michelle Yeoh)” Cynthia Erivo “What Is This Feeling?” Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo “Something Bad (featuring Cynthia Erivo)” Peter Dinklage “Dancing Through Life (featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, & Cynthia Erivo)” Jonathan Bailey “Popular” Ariana Grande “I’m Not That Girl” Cynthia Erivo “One Short Day (featuring Michael McCorry Rose)” Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, & Idina Menzel “A Sentimental Man” Jeff Goldblum “Defying Gravity (featuring Ariana Grande)” Cynthia Erivo

So, the question remains: why are there no original songs in the Wicked soundtrack? The most obvious answer is that there simply wasn't enough time. There are eleven songs in Wicked, and some of them are longer than average. Not to mention, they are each accompanied by a thorough dance scene or visual sequence. If Wicked had added another original song, it might have become too overwhelming for the movie's runtime or could have slowed down the pace of the film. Without it, each song was able to have its own spotlight without being rushed or downplayed.

Wicked Surely Would've Received A Best Original Song Oscar Nomination If It Had One New Song

Would Wicked Have Won Best Song?

There is little doubt that if Wicked had included an original song in its soundtrack, the movie would have received a Best Original Song nomination at the 2025 Oscars. Regardless of the quality of the song, the movie's popularity would have put it on the Oscar's radar, and at the very least, it would have received a nomination. Even better, if the song was written by Stephen Schwartz, who penned the original Wicked soundtrack, the song could have had a real chance of winning in its category, no matter what other movies it was up against.

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Of course, Wicked is out of the running at this point, but it certainly would have been an interesting race. At the moment, there are quite a few predictions about which movies will be nominated for Best Original Song. Some of the top contenders include songs like "Mi Camino" and "El Mal" from Emilia Pérez, "Piece by Piece" from Pharrell Williams' Lego movie, and "Harper and Will Go West," from Will & Harper. Other potential candidates also include Moana 2, The Wild Robot, and Joker: Folie à Deux. Wicked would have had stiff competition, but likely could have held its own.

Wicked 2 Is Likely To Get A Best Original Song Oscar Nomination

What Is Known About Wicked 2's Original Songs

Fortunately, Wicked's chances of a Best Original Song nomination are not totally off the table. In November 2025, Wicked: Part Two will premiere, and it has already been confirmed that the sequel will include original songs. With only eight songs left from the original Wicked musical soundtrack, it makes sense that the filmmakers would add in new tunes to fill out the movie. In this way, Wicked will almost definitely get its Best Original Song nomination in 2026, and could even have more than one song in the running.

So far, it has been confirmed that two new songs will be added to the soundtrack of Wicked: Part Two. It is unclear what these songs will be about, and even who will sing them, yet it has been confirmed that Stephen Schwartz is writing them. In this way, Wicked: Part Two is going to give audiences brand new Wicked content that has never been seen before, and more than that, could grant the movie with an exciting Oscar wish.