Ariana Grande to receive Rising Star Award at Palm Springs Film Fest

FILE – Ariana Grande, left, poses for a selfie with a fan at the premiere of ‘Wicked’ at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angele, Nov. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP File)

PALM SPRINGS – Ariana Grande will receive the Rising Star Award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival, organizers announced Wednesday.

Grande will be honored at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Jan. 3 for her characterization of Glinda in “Wicked,” Jon M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical. The role recently earned the singer and actress recognition as one of eight Virtuoso Award honorees at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The film was released in the United States on Nov. 22 and has shattered multiple box office benchmarks for musicals. It eclipsed the worldwide opening of “Les Misérables” (2012), the previous record-holder, by approximately $60 million.

“Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda elevates her to new heights with a powerful acting performance that beautifully combines her outstanding musical talent, brilliant characterization and impeccable comedic timing,” festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. “Ariana is an iconic global performer, who has seamlessly transitioned to film in her first major starring role, proving herself to be a multifaceted and undeniable talent. This role is certain to be the beginning of the many accolades she will garner throughout her acting career.”

Grande (billed in the movie as Ariana Grande-Butera) co-stars in “Wicked” with Cynthia Erivo, who plays the somewhat titular role of Elphaba.

The movie also features performances from Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode and Peter Dinklage.

Grande’s childhood theater background paved the way for the beginning of her career in the spotlight, first as an actress in the Nickelodeon show

“Victorious” and later as a pop singer, releasing seven consecutive Platinum albums over an approximately decade-long stretch. Grande became the first artist to simultaneously hold the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 since The Beatles, and she is currently Spotify’s most-streamed female artist of all time.

She played a role in Adam McKay’s 2021 global warming satire “Don’t Look Up.” Her trophy cabinet also includes a pair of Grammy Awards, one for the 2018 album “Sweetener” and another for her 2020 collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Rain on Me.”
Grande joins Kieran Culkin (Breakthrough Performer Award), Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Nicole Kidman (International Star Award), Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), the cast of “Conclave” (Ensemble Performance Award), Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award), Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor) and the cast and director of Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” (Vanguard Award) as announced recipients of honors at PSIFF 2025.

Past recipients of the Rising Star Award include Alicia Vikander, recognized for her dual performances in “The Danish Girl” and ”Ex Machina,” who won an Academy Award for the former. Gal Gadot, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Lawrence have also been given the same festival prize.

After the ceremony on PSIFF 2025’s second day, the film festival will continue through Jan. 13. (CNS)