Wickedhas taken home a major prize in the early days of the 2024-2025 awards season. The new movie musical, which was directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians,In the Heights), is based on the Broadway show of the same name, which in turns adapts Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel telling the origin story ofThe Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. TheWickedcastincludes Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as the charismatic prince Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as the sorceress Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.
PerVariety,Wickedhas been named the Best Film of the year by the National Board of Review. It won a total of two awards, as Jon M. Chu was also awarded Best Director. Additionally, Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo were given the NBR Spotlight Award for their “creative collaboration.” As this Best Film award has come very early in the season, this is the first major movie prize thatWickedhas won.
What This Means For Wicked
A Best Picture Nomination Seems Certain
This award from the NBR haskickstartedWicked’s awards season in a major way. Before its win was announced, the movie was alreadyVariety’s favorite to be nominated for Best Picture in addition to being ranked No. 6 onGold Derby. However, it will likely rise among the ranks very soon, as the majority of the movies that have earned Best Film from the NBR have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, includingTop Gun: Maverick,Killers of the Flower Moon,The Post,Mad Max: Fury Road, andManchester by the Sea.
Gold Derby’s Top 10 Best Picture Nomination Contenders (as of August 18, 2025)
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Gladiator II
However, this award does not necessarily mean that theWickedmovieis a lock for Best Picture, even if a nomination is highly likely. Since 2000,only three movies that were declared the Best Film by the NBR later won the Best Picture Oscar. Those titles wereNo Country for Old Men,Slumdog Millionaire, andGreen Book. The NBR also has a slightly higher rate of awarding titles connected to broader film franchises, awarding their top prize to three movies (Mad Max: Fury Road,Top Gun: Maverick,Wicked) since 2000, whereas the Academy only awarded one (Return of the King).
Our Take On Wicked’s NBR Win
Best Picture Is Still In Its Sights
It is still fartoo early to tell if theWizard of Ozprequel will take the top prizeat the Oscars. However, there are more factors working in its favor. While critical and commercial reception does not necessarily indicate that a movie will win, it can help influence the Academy, and theWickedreleasehas had an outstanding reaction on both fronts. This includes becoming the 13th highest-grossing movie of the year within just 10 days and earning a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 89% on top of a Verified Hot 96% audience score.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
