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Not only was Ariana Grande a Best Supporting Actress nominee at last night’s 2025 Oscars, where she was acknowledged for her role as Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, but the singer and actor also took to the stage for a special opening performance with her co-star, Cynthia Erivo. “We wanted it to be a tribute to Oz, and to the beautiful women and witches who have come before us,” says Grande, who performed a powerful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” as well as “Defying Gravity” with Erivo. “The Wizard of Oz, and especially ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ has been a very special to me since I was a little girl. My grandpa always asked me to sing it, and it has always been a part of my life, becoming even more meaningful to me over the years.”
While Grande captivated the audience with her powerful vocals, she also brought forth Oscar-worthy fashions to match the excitement. Working with stylist Mimi Cuttrell, Grande wore two spellbinding Schiaparelli gowns designed by Daniel Roseberry. “I love Daniel and Schiaparelli more than life itself, so to have been able to share this moment with him and the incredible team for both of my looks, was such a surreal honor,” says Grande. Her carpet look, in the softest Glinda pink, consisted of a satin duchess bustier dress and nude silk-tulle skirt. The silhouette was inspired by an Alberto Giacometti lamp that Roseberry found in the Schiaparelli archives, and it featured over 190,000 crystal sequins, rhinestones, and beads.
Grande’s ruby-red performance gown, meanwhile, was a bustier ball gown embroidered with over 150,000 beads, sequins, and Swarovski crystals, and finished with a flowing tulle train. (Her shimmering earrings were also Swarovski.) On the back of the dress, a protruding three-dimensional stiletto paid further homage to Oz. “I had expressed that I wanted to pay tribute to the ruby slippers and to Judy Garland with this dress, and Daniel really just created the most stunning piece of Ozian art from there,” says Grande. “What a special thing to forever be connected to Oz, and to have brought it to life in this way with Daniel. He really is as kind and beautiful as a person as he is brilliant.”
The special night was about so much more than creating memorable fashion moments, however. Grande’s personal highlights from the evening? “Sharing the night with my momma,” says Grande, “and being able to make so many new friends who’s work I admire so much throughout this awards circuit. I hope I get to bump into them all again someday—they have all been so kind and welcoming to me. I’m deeply appreciative.”
Reflecting on her first Oscar nomination and the whirlwind awards season as a whole, Grande says the recognition for both her acting and singing talents—on such a scale—is something that she will cherish forever. “It feels like a dream come true, except it’s not even a dream I had ever dreamt,” says Grande. “I never even let my mind go that far, to dream that this would ever be a possibility, so it feels just like the most incredible honor. Playing this role was a gift, and was the dream of my life, so this acknowledgement was such an incredible surprise to me, and means so much.”
Grande s Wicked fun isn’t over just yet, though. The blockbuster sequel releases in November, meaning both Grande and Erivo will be back for round two. You can expect more endearing performances, more red carpets, and yes, even more magical red carpet looks to come. “We have a whole other movie to go,” says Grande. “My stylist Mimi and I are excited to reinvent that, and to continue to play and enjoy our journey with her in a few months. It’s not goodbye just yet!”
Below, see more photos from inside Grande’s Oscars night.
