Despite earning one of the most talked-about nominations of the year, Ariana Grande is reportedly set to skip the 2026 Actor Awards, leaving fans surprised during what was expected to be a major milestone moment in her acting journey. The 32nd annual ceremony — formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards — will take place on March 1 at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, with Kristen Bell returning as host for the third time.
Grande is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked: For Good. However, reports indicate that she will miss the event due to preparations for her highly anticipated return to touring.
According to sources, the singer-actor is currently immersed in rehearsals for her upcoming The Eternal Sunshine Tour, which she first announced in August 2025. The tour marks her first major global run since the massively successful Sweetener World Tour in 2019. At the time of announcing the new shows, Grande teased fans with a simple but exciting promise: “See you next year.” The tour is scheduled to launch in Oakland, California, in June 2026 and wrap up in Chicago by August, with additional performances planned in London. With such a demanding schedule ahead, her absence from the awards ceremony appears to be a strategic decision focused on performance readiness rather than disengagement from the film world.
Earlier this year, Grande was present at the Golden Globe Awards, where she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for the same role. However, she ultimately lost the award to Teyana Taylor, who was honored for her performance in One Battle After Another. The awards season has proven to be competitive for Grande, as she also missed out on the Best Supporting Actress title at the Critics Choice Awards. This follows a similar pattern from the 2025 SAG Awards, where she was nominated in the same category for Wicked but lost to Zoe Saldaña for her performance in Emilia Pérez.
Interestingly, Grande is the only cast member from Wicked: For Good nominated at this year’s Actor Awards. Her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, was nominated in 2025 but did not secure a nod this year. The film’s ensemble also failed to earn a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in 2026 after being recognized in the category the previous year. This relative absence of recognition has sparked conversations within the industry about whether the sequel has been overshadowed during awards season.
Adding to the discourse, Michelle Yeoh, who portrays Madame Morrible in the film, recently expressed her disappointment regarding the project’s limited awards traction. In a February interview, Yeoh admitted she was both surprised and saddened by the film’s reception during the current awards cycle. She praised the movie’s technical achievements, particularly highlighting costume design, hair, and makeup work led by Paul Tazewell. According to Yeoh, the sequel expanded creatively beyond the first installment, featuring more elaborate visuals and new destinations that elevated its storytelling and production scale.
Despite the setbacks, Grande has remained publicly silent on both her awards season losses and her expected absence from the Actor Awards ceremony. Whether she plans to attend any future industry events remains unclear. For now, her focus appears firmly set on returning to the stage and reconnecting with fans worldwide through live performance — a move that may signal a renewed emphasis on her music career alongside her evolving film presence.
