Critic’s Choice voters allegedly sent bribery emails to nominate Ariana Grande for Best Supporting Actress for Wicked

Some anonymous members have reportedly sent bribery emails to multiple Critics' Choice voters to nominate Ariana Grande in the Best Supporting Actress category for Wicked.

On November 28, 2024, two critics, Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film) and Siddhant Adlakha (@SiddhantAdlakha) shared alleged screenshots on X of emails they received as voters in the Critics Choice Awards. They claimed that the emails came from Ariana Grande's fans. As per the screenshots, the emails said:

"I was reaching out to you because I'm aware you are a part of the Critic's Choice voting body and I would like to offer you a business proposition. As you may know the 2024 film adaptation of the musical "Wicked" just released in theaters to overwhelming critical acclaim and box office success with almost 200m at the global box office."

Speaking specifically about Grande, the email read:

"Ms. Grande has been categorized as the heart of the film by many critics and we would like to ensure a nomination for her in the 'Best supporting actress' category by offering you an amount in the 4-digit range depending on the numeral position on your ballot."

For those uninformed, Jon M. Chu's musical fantasy Wicked was released in theaters on November 22, 2024. It is the first of a two-part installment that serves as a prequel to the popular fantasy drama, The Wizard of Oz. Ariana Grande plays Galinda Upland who later becomes Glinda the Good in The Wizard of Oz.

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"I loved the story and the sisterhood" - Ariana Grande opened up about her first experience of watching the stage musical Wicked

"Wicked: Part One" European Premiere - Arrivals - Source: Getty

Jon M. Chu's 2024 musical fantasy, Wicked, is an adaptation of the popular stage musical of the same name written by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman. The play, in turn, is based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire which serves as a prequel to the iconic children's novel, The Wizard of Oz.

In Part I of the film that hit theaters this November, Ariana Grande played the role of Galinda Upland or Glinda. The character first appeared in The Wizard of Oz and is described as the most powerful sorceress in the land of Oz. Wicked serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and explores Glinda's friendship with Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo).

The story takes place in the Land of Oz before the arrival of Dorothy, the protagonist of The Wizard of Oz. It traces the journey of Elphaba as she becomes the Wicked Witch of the Witch and depicts her friendship with Galinda or Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande).

In an interview with Deadline, Ariana Granda recalled her experience of watching Wicked as a musical on stage for the first time when she was 10 years old. She said:

"My first time seeing Wicked, I was 10 years old, and I am so lucky. I got to see the original Broadway cast. I just remember my life changing and knowing my life in two chapters: before seeing Wicked and after seeing Wicked."

Grande continued:

"Of course, the singing was also a massive appeal, and I loved the story and the sisterhood, but I loved how it made me feel and how it made everyone in the audience feel, and it was infectious, and it became an escape for me, and I always listened to it every single day. Here we are. It’s really full circle and insane."

Ariana Grande has received decent critical acclaim for her performance in Wicked. Chris Murphy from Vanity Fair praised the singer and actress, writing:

"The way that Glinda works in the story, it’s so funny and there isareo many comedic moments, but as it goes on she really becomes the unsuspecting heart and a really sympathetic character. Obviously it’s only half the story, but there is a full complete movie arc in this one act. While Elphaba ends defying gravity, Glinda ends really down to earth in a way that screams best supporting actress.”

In the review of Wicked by The Guardian, critics lauded Ariana Grande's performance as one of the "knockout performances" that makes one wish the film lasted longer.

As per several reviews, one of the major highlights of the film was reportedly Arianda Grande's performance of the track, Popular. The song has been a part of the original Broadway play and was sung by Grande herself for the film.

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Wicked earned a reported $114 million on its opening weekend in the United States. It also reportedly marked the third-highest opening of the year after Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. It has grossed a reported $164 million worldwide as of writing.