Ariana Grande started 2025 by attending the Golden Globes, where she was nominated for her role as Glinda in Wicked. She ended the year by being nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Glinda — this time, in Wicked: For Good. In between, she proved that she hadn’t forgotten her day job as a pop star.
— In late March, Ari released the deluxe version of her hit 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine, called Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, with six previously unreleased additional tracks. The new version sent the album back to #1 on the Billboard 200.
–With the album came a short film, Brighter Days Ahead, which Ariana co-directed; it featured her reprising her role as Peaches from her previous video “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” The film, which featured a cameo from her father, Edward Butera, won three MTV VMAs, including video of the year.
–In May, it was announced that Ariana had joined the cast of Focker-In-Law, the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents film franchise. The movie, set to hit theaters in November 2026, has most of the original cast returning; Ariana plays the girlfriend of Ben Stiller‘s character’s son.
–In June, Ariana took part in the ultimate diva summit, joining Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand to record the song “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do)” for Babs’ album The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two. The album received a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album.
— Also in June, Ariana’s beloved grandmother Marjorie Grande aka Nonna, who’d appeared on her album Eternal Sunshine, passed away at age 99.
–In July, it was announced that Ariana would be part of the cast of Jon M. Chu‘s animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It’s set to hit theaters March 17, 2028.
–In August, Ari announced her first tour in six years. The Eternal Sunshine Tour will visit North America and the U.K. in the summer of 2026 and will feature her playing multiple nights in every city. It launches June 6 in Oakland, California, and will wrap Sept. 1 in London.
–In October, Ariana was announced as a cast member of FX anthology series American Horror Story season 13. It’s set to air around Halloween 2026.
–In November, Ariana made multiple appearances to promote Wicked: For Good. Her performance received glowing reviews and a Golden Globe nod; she also received two Grammy nominations for the Wicked soundtrack.
–On Dec. 20, Ariana hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live, with musical guest Cher. She described it ahead of time to Jimmy Fallon as “one of the gayest SNL episodes [ever].” The episode earned the show’s highest ratings since November of 2024.
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