Ariana Grande has revealed what she did to prepare for her Wicked audition in an upcoming appearance on Friday night’s The Graham Norton Show.

The singer, 31, was left ‘sobbing’ on Thursday after she landed her first ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her acclaimed performance as Glinda in Wicked.

Joining Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Don Gilet and Olly Alexander on the sofa, Ariana looked back on her audition process.

To be in with a good chance of getting her dream role, Ariana said: ‘I started preparing for it before I even had an audition. 

‘There were murmurs about the role, so I started working with voice and acting coaches – I wanted all the tools in the box to be available to me. 

‘I thought if I did the work then maybe I would have a chance. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t get the role, and I cried so much in the final screen test.’ 

Ariana Grande, 31, has revealed what she did to prepare for her Wicked audition in an upcoming appearance on Friday night’s The Graham Norton Show

The singer was left ‘sobbing’ on Thursday after she landed her first ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her acclaimed performance as Glinda in Wicked

Speaking about her Oscar nod, an emotional Ariana added: ‘It was so surreal – I did not expect at all. It is overwhelming I have been sobbing all day.

‘It has been really emotional, and I am so grateful for our Wicked family and for Cynthia being celebrated. It is very special.’

The star channelled her off-screen alter-ego Glinda in a stunning dress with a silver sequinned bodice, that flowed into a blue floral skirt.

After her nomination was announced, Ariana took to Instagram with a lengthy note, while sharing a pH๏τo of herself as a child in a Dorothy from Wizard Of Oz costume. 

‘Picking my head up in between sobs to say thank you so much to @theacademy for this unfathomable recognition,’ she began. 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.

‘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. 

Joining Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Don Gilet and Olly Alexander on the sofa, Ariana looked back on her audition process 

To be in with a good chance of getting her dream role, Ariana said: ‘I started preparing for it before I even had an audition. There were murmurs about the role, so I started working with voice and acting coaches – I wanted all the tools in the box to be available to me’

Joining Ariana in the category are Felicity Jones in The Brutalist, Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez, Isabella Rossellini in Conclave and Monica Barbaro in a A Complete Unknown

After her nomination was announced, Ariana took to Instagram with a lengthy note, while sharing a pH๏τo of herself as a child in a Dorothy from Wizard Of Oz costume 

The star admitted she ‘cannot stop crying’ after landing her first ever Oscar nomination 

Read More Oscars nominations 2025: Cynthia Erivo and Felicity Jones lead British and Irish stars with nods

‘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.’

Her boyfriend Ethan Slater, who was also in Wicked, shared a pH๏τo of her holding a bunch of pink balloons, no doubt a nod to her character’s love of the colour.

Joining Ariana in the Best Supporting Actress category are Felicity Jones in The Brutalist, Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez, Isabella Rossellini in Conclave and Monica Barbaro in a A Complete Unknown.

Wicked landed 10 nominations in total, marking a significant milestone for the Broadway adaptation, including a Best Leading Actress nod for star Cynthia Erivo.

However, Cynthia will battle it out with Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here) to take home the trophy.

The Graham Norton Show airs at 11:05pm on BBC One and iPlayer. 

Oscar nominations 2025 – see who received nods for this year’s Academy Awards

Best Picture 

Wicked

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Perez

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys 

The Substance 

Wicked has received multiple Oscar nods, including one for Best Picture

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascon – Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison – Anora

Demi Moore – The Substance

Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

The Substance has been nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Actress for Demi Moore 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov – Anora

Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Felicity Jones – The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

Directing

Sean Baker – Anora

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

James Mangold – A Complete Unknown

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Music (Original Song) 

El Mal – Emilia Pérez

The Journey – The Six Triple Eight

Like A Bird – Sing Sing

Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez

Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late

Emilia Pérez has also earned numerous nominations

Music (Original Score)

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Writing (Original Screenplay) 

Anora

The Brutalist

A Real Pain

September 5

The Substance

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

Animated Feature Film

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

International Feature Film 

I’m Still here

The Girl with the Needle

Emilia Pérez

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Flow

Cinematography

The Brutalist

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Maria

Nosferatu

Makeup and Hairstyling 

A Different Man

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

The Substance

Wicked

Dune: Part Two is competing for numerous Oscars

Costume Design

A Complete Unknown 

Conclave

Gladiator II

Nosferatu

Wicked

Production Design

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nosferatu

Wicked

Animated Short Film 

Beautiful Men

In The Shadow of The Cypress

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Live Action Short Film

A Lien

Anuja

I’m Not A Robot

The Last Ranger

The An Who Could Not Remain Silent

Sound

A Complete Unknown

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

A Complete Unknown received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, among others

Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus

Better Man

Dune: Part Two

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked

Film Editing

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land

Porcelain War

Soundtrack to Coup D’etat

Sugarcane

Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident

Instrumenting of a Beating Heart

The Only Girl in the Orchestra