Why Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” and More Songs Weren’t Nominated at the 2025 Golden Globes

Wicked is “pop-you-lar” at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. Filmmaker Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the Broadway musical is nominated in four categories, including Cinematic Box Office Achievement and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, with nominations for stars Cynthia Erivo (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy) and Ariana Grande (Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture). But the musical is notably absent from two categories: Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

That’s because the film’s music is based on the original soundtrack by composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who created the music for the 2003 stage musical as well as the film, which features a score by Schwartz and Grammy and Oscar nominee John Powell.

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Per the Golden Globe Awards eligibility and consideration rules, qualifying songs for the Original Song category must have words and music “both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture,” while a score “must be primarily original music written specifically for the motion picture” to be eligible. Elphaba may defy gravity, but there’s no defying the Golden Globe eligibility committee.

“I didn’t find the kind of scoring I did very different from underscoring a show. John Powell, as an experienced movie score composer, has a somewhat different approach, but we believe the two will meld seamlessly,” Schwartz previously explained to The Schwartz Scene of his collaboration with Powell. “I basically used the existing themes [from the musical]. John may wind up creating some new themes, but I didn’t.”

“The orchestrations for the songs are by Jeff Atmajian, whom I found to be enormously gifted and who really seemed to get my style and intentions,” Schwartz added. “They were based in most cases on the original Broadway orchestrations, but of course an orchestra of eighty or so musicians is going to have much more richness of sound than is achievable on Broadway.”

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While Ervio’s version of “Defying Gravity” and Grande’s “Popular” weren’t eligible for the Golden Globes, both songs were, well, popular on the Billboard radio charts in December 2024. According to Billboard, “Popular” ascended 29-27 on Adult Pop Airplay and 34-29 on Pop Airplay, while “Defying Gravity” (also featuring Grande) debuted on both rankings at No. 39.

Wicked: The Soundtrack — with music and lyrics by Schwartz, and performances by the film’s cast, including Erivo, Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum — spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart, with 321,000 equivalent album units sold in the U.S. in that span, according to Billboard.

Erivo, who plays “Wicked Witch of the West” Elphaba Thropp, previously revealed she and Schwartz co-wrote an original song for 2025’s Wicked: Part Two (titled Wicked: For Good). Because that song is original to the new film, it would be eligible for the 2026 Oscars and the Golden Globes.

“We definitely had some collaboration on my one,” Erivo told Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast. “I don’t know if you’re ready for it. I mean, I love the song and I remember when we filmed it, the cast and crew were crying. So I don’t know. And I don’t know if that’s just because they were emotional that day or that’s what the song does.”

“I feel like the song is very, very special. I don’t want to give you any more than that,” she teased of the new song. “I have a feeling that even the title will move you.”