Why Cynthia Erivo Won’t Be Attending the 2026 Golden Globe Awards Despite Wicked: For Good Nomination

Cynthia Erivo won’t be in attendance at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, even though she’s nominated for the second year in a row.

The Wicked star is nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress — Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy once again in 2026, following the same nomination last year for her work in the film’s first installment. Erivo made history with the nod, becoming the first Black woman to be nominated in the category twice, but she will miss the Sunday, Jan. 11, ceremony, Variety reports. 

Erivo, 38, is “deep in production” in Dracula on the West End in London, which will run from Feb. 4 to May 31, the outlet says. The actress is starring in a one-woman stage adaptation of Bram Stoker’s famed horror classic, in which she plays 23 characters, including the titular vampire.

“I’m f—— petrified. I really am. I’m very scared,” Erivo said of taking on the 23 roles in Wonderland Magazine. “But I’m also like — I don’t know, is this sadistic of me — but I’m really excited about it as well. It’s absolutely nonsensical and insane.”

Dracula marks her return to the West End, after she starred as Celie in The Color Purple in the 2015 revival, which ultimately brought her from London to a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway.

In the years since, Erivo has notably starred in several stage productions, including Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in August 2025. Her three-night performance at the venue came during the one-year break between Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

The musical movies have received critical acclaim, and the second film earned five total nominations at this year’s Globes — one more than the 2025 Golden Globes.

This year, the film earned nominations for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, Best Original Song for “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl In The Bubble,” a Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture nomination for Ariana Grande and Erivo’s nomination. 

Erivo is nominated alongside Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee) and Emma Stone (Bugonia).

Grande, meanwhile, is nominated alongside Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine), Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons) and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another).

The 2026 nomination marks Erivo’s fifth Golden Globe nomination. She was nominated in 2022 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha Franklin. In 2020, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Song for her work in Harriet and on the song, “Stand Up” from Harriet‘s official soundtrack.

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The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. EST, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.