Ariana Grande 2026: Career Highlights, Awards, and What's Next

Ariana Grande steps onto the Critics Choice Awards red carpet, her hair a rich brunette cascade that catches the flashbulbs like a secret she's ready to share. It's January 4, 2026, and she's not just nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Wicked: Part II—she's signaling a shift, the kind that whispers of reinvention amid the pop stardom she's ruled for over a decade.

The Launch Pad Years

Back in 2013, when Ariana Grande was still shaking off the Victorious kid-sister vibes, the awards started piling up fast. She snagged the American Music Award for New Artist of the Year and the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star award, proof that her voice—that stratospheric high note machine—was no fluke.^[6][7] Those early nods felt like the industry catching its breath, realizing this pint-sized powerhouse from Florida was built for the big leagues.

Fast-forward through the whirlwind, and by 2019, Grande hits her stride as pop's reigning queen. The Grammys hand her Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener, while Billboard crowns her Top Female Artist and doles out Chart Achievement honors.^[6][7] The BRITs go for International Female Solo Artist, MTV VMAs name her Artist of the Year, and don't forget the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice and Teen Choice Awards stacking up like confetti. It's the year she owns the charts and the conversation, turning personal chaos into platinum anthems.

Duets and Beauty Moves

2021 brings collaborations that redefine her sound. She teams with Lady Gaga for "Rain On Me," earning a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.^[6][7] Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards follow for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Music Collaboration on "Stuck with U" with Justin Bieber.^[6][7] These aren't just hits; they're bridges, showing Grande's knack for elevating partners while staying unmistakably herself.

By 2022, she's diversifying. Her r.e.m. beauty line scores big: Allure's Best of Beauty Awards for Best New Brand and Best Mascara, Cosmopolitan UK Beauty Awards for Best Concealer.^[6][7] And she repeats as Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Favorite Female Artist.^[6][7] Makeup becomes her canvas, blending the glamour of her stage persona with something more tangible, more everyday.

Blonde to Brunette, Stage to Screen

Come 2025, Grande eases her hair from blonde to dark brown with copper highlights, debuting the look at Wicked premieres in London and New York.^[6][7] It's a visual pivot, mirroring the deeper changes brewing. Then, at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, she arrives with that stunning "rich brunette" makeover, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Wicked: Part II.^[6][7] The crowd buzzes; it's not just a color swap—it's Glinda stepping out of Oz and into Hollywood's glare.

She's already dipped into acting waters, appearing in a season of American Horror Story.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Now, with Wicked: For Good on the horizon, she's up for a Golden Globe nod in Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture as Glinda.^[6][7] And the BRIT Awards have her in the running for Song of the Year with Cynthia Erivo on "Defying Gravity."^[6][7] That track also nets her a 2026 Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.^[6][7] Film feels like her new frontier, where the voice that shattered records now carries entire scenes.

She's even lined up for an upcoming Meet the Parents movie, adding comedy cred to her resume.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Grande's film career builds momentum, pulling her toward acting as the long-term play.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The Tour That Feels Final

But before she fully crosses over, there's the Eternal Sunshine Tour. At the Critics Choice Awards, she opens up about prepping for it—her first major trek in years—and teases whether the setlist might weave in Wicked tracks.^[8] It's a nod to the pop roots she can't quite shake yet.

On the "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" podcast, though, she drops the real talk: this tour's her "last hurrah."^{[1][2][3][4][5]} She might not hit the road again for a "long, long, long, long, long time."^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Fans feel the weight; after six years off the touring circuit, this could be the goodbye lap.

The next 10 to 15 years? She says they'll look very different from the whirlwind past.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} No more endless arenas, perhaps, but scripts and sets instead. It's a pivot that makes sense—she's 32 now, post-divorce, post-trauma, ready to channel that emotional depth into roles that demand it.

She knows the score.

Looking back, Grande's run reads like a masterclass in adaptation. From teen TV to Grammy hauls, beauty launches to Broadway-sized film bets, she's always one step ahead of expectation. The awards shelf groans under the weight: multiple Grammys, AMAs, Billboard honors, BRITs, VMAs, Kids' Choice, Teen Choice, even beauty breakthroughs.^[6][7] But 2026 feels like the hinge year, with Wicked accolades and that tour looming.

What we couldn't pin down includes exact financials on her projects or official tallies beyond the listed wins—the industry's tight-lipped on those fronts, and Variety hasn't rubber-stamped every whisper about her album-writing time crunch. Still, the pattern's clear: she's trading spotlights for silver screens.

In my view, it's the honest read on a star who's outgrown the pop machine she helped build. The Eternal Sunshine Tour might light up one last time, but Grande's eyes are on the horizon where acting lets her stretch without the sweat of stadiums. Whether Hollywood embraces her as fully as music did remains the intriguing bet, but if anyone can rewrite the script, it's her.