No one is prouder of Ariana Grande’s first Academy Award nomination than her family — but they are playing any ceremony plans by ear.
“I think we’re all just so excited that I don’t think I’ve processed it yet. I really haven’t.” Ariana’s older brother, Frankie Grande, exclusively told Us Weekly at the 40th Annual Artios Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wednesday, February 12. “I’m just so unbelievably proud of my little sister being nominated for an Oscar. I’m going to cry on this red carpet.”
He added, “It’s very emotional for us as a family, and so we’re just there to support her, whatever she needs. If she wants to showboat, party, whatever [she] wants, but no one’s making plans. We’re just all very, like, [playing] it by ear.”
Ariana, 31, scored a nod for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Galinda/Glinda in 2024’s Wicked. She is up against Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) and Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) during the Sunday, March 2, awards ceremony.
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“What nomination? What are you talking about? I don’t know,” Frankie, 42, joked with Us, sarcastically downplaying the accolade. “But, we’re all very excited. I’m very proud of her.”
Ariana has been equally stunned to be nominated for an Oscar statue.
“Picking my head up in between sobs to say thank you so much to @theacademy for this unfathomable recognition,” she gushed via Instagram last month after the nominations were revealed. “I cannot stop crying, to no one’s surprise. I’m humbled and deeply honored to be in such brilliant company and sharing this with tiny Ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ just before the big, beautiful bubble entered. I’m so proud of you, tiny.”
Ariana also noted that she was “so deeply proud” of her “beautiful Wicked family” including director Jon M. Chu and costar Cynthia Erivo, who is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Elphaba.
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Playing Galinda/Glinda has been a long-held dream for Ariana, who’s been candid about prioritizing her acting career alongside her already-massive success in pop music. (Ariana got her start in Broadway’s 13 the Musical before landing the role of Cat on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and its Sam & Cat spinoff.)
“It’s cool because she’s so accomplished already, and so getting to see what she’s going to do next is just so exciting for me as her brother, but I know also for the fans and for the world,” Frankie gushed on Wednesday. “So, I just want to see her do something that she really wants to do. Glinda was a project she’s been dreaming of her whole life, so I hope the next role is very different, but it’s also something she’s equally wanted to do her whole life.”
According to Frankie, his sister “loves horror” and it’d be fun to watch her jump into that genre down the line.
“Maybe it’ll be horror, [but] I don’t know,” Frankie said. “I just hope it’s another lifelong dream back to back.”
With reporting by Mariel Turner
