After premiering to incredible success at the end of 2024,Wickedcould 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,Wickedhas 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 atWickedright now, there is no guarantee that the film will earnaward nominations come 2025, especially without one specific detail.
Wickedis eligible to take on just about any award, from Oscars to Golden Globes, yet the most obvious accolade the movie could have won isBest Original Song. As a musical,Wickedrelies 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.Wickedhas fantastic performances and some truly stunning visuals, but the music is where the film really shines. Unfortunately though, this award is already out ofWicked’shands 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
AlthoughBest Original Song would have been an ideal nomination forWicked,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 theWickedmusical. Despite the fact thatWicked’scast adds their own spins to these songs, they are not newly written for the movie, and thus, do not count as original songs. Therefore,Wickedcould 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)”
“Something Bad (featuring Cynthia Erivo)”
Peter Dinklage
“Dancing Through Life (featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, & Cynthia Erivo)”
“Defying Gravity (featuring Ariana Grande)”
Cynthia Erivo
So, the question remains: why are there no original songs intheWickedsoundtrack?The most obvious answer is that there simply wasn’t enough time. There are eleven songs inWicked,and some of them are longer than average. Not to mention, they are each accompanied by a thorough dance scene or visual sequence.IfWickedhad added another original song, it might have become too overwhelmingfor 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.
Would Wicked Have Won Best Song?
There is little doubt that ifWickedhad included an original song in its soundtrack, the movie would have received a Best Original Songnomination 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 originalWickedsoundtrack, the song could have had a real chance of winningin its category, no matter what other movies it was up against.
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Of course,Wickedis 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” fromEmilia Pérez,“Piece by Piece” from Pharrell Williams' Lego movie, and “Harper and Will Go West,” fromWill & Harper.Other potential candidates also includeMoana 2, The Wild Robot,andJoker: Folie à Deux.Wickedwould 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’schances of a Best Original Song nomination are not totally off the table. In November 2025,Wicked: Part Twowill premiere, and it has already been confirmed that the sequel will include original songs. With only eight songs left from the originalWickedmusical soundtrack, it makes sense that the filmmakers would add in new tunes to fill out the movie. In this way,Wickedwill 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 ofWicked: 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 Twois going to give audiences brand newWickedcontent that has never been seen before, and more than that, could grant the movie with an exciting Oscar wish.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
