Ariana Grande loses Best Supporting Actress to Amy Madigan at Critics Choice Awards 2026

Ariana Grande’s fans erupted in fury after the pop superstar lost the Best Supporting Actress award at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, turning what was expected to be a celebratory night into one of the most controversial moments of the ceremony.

Grande, 32, had been nominated for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked: For Good, the final installment of Jon M. Chu’s blockbuster adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical Wicked. The nomination marked her second consecutive Critics Choice nod for the role, further fueling expectations that this would finally be her moment.

Instead, the award went to a surprise winner: veteran actress Amy Madigan for her performance as the sinister witch Aunt Gladys in Weapons, the R-rated horror film directed by Zach Cregger.

Madigan triumphed over a competitive lineup that included Grande, Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another).

As Madigan made her way to the stage, Grande and the other nominees applauded politely, but the reaction online was anything but calm.

Almost instantly, Grande’s fanbase flooded social media with outrage, declaring that the singer-actress had been “robbed” and insisting that the “wrong witch won.” One furious fan echoed Kanye West’s infamous 2009 VMAs interruption by writing:
"AMY MADIGAN IMA LET YOU FINISH BUT ARIANA GRANDE HAD THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS PERFORMANCE!!!"

Another questioned the decision outright, asking:
"really? was that really the best supporting role of the year?"

Others were more direct, with one fan insisting,
"this award belongs to ARI!!!!"
while pleading for future ceremonies to correct the perceived injustice, urging the upcoming Golden Globes to "come through for my good witch."

Even Madigan herself appeared stunned by the win, despite the cultural buzz surrounding Weapons and the viral popularity of her character. Taking the stage, she admitted:
"I really wasn't expecting all of this. I thought people would like the movie and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys. It is crazy."

Reflecting on the unexpected fan response, Madigan added:
"I get makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she's a "sex icon," which I didn't go too deep into that one."

She went on to thank Warner Bros. along with the cast and crew of Weapons, before offering a heartfelt acknowledgment to the fans who embraced her character so passionately.
"I never really knew what I said to thank your fans. Usually I see that with great music but I'm thanking my fans for [this award] too."

During Madigan’s emotional speech, cameras cut to Grande in the audience. The Wicked star appeared genuinely happy for the 75-year-old actress, who boasts a decades-long career with iconic roles in films such as Uncle Buck (1989) and Field Of Dreams (1989).

The Critics Choice Awards took place Sunday night at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, officially kicking off the 2026 awards season. Chelsea Handler returned as host for the fourth year in a row.

Often regarded as one of Hollywood’s most reliable predictors of Oscar success, the Critics Choice Awards once again proved capable of igniting controversy, and setting the tone for a dramatic awards season ahead.