Cynthia Erivo is a British actress and singer who has received numerous awards throughout her career, including a Tony Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, and two Grammy Awards, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. She is one of only a few artists to have received nominations for the EGOT.
After her West End theatre debut in the early 2010s, Erivo garnered critical attention with her lead role as Celie, a young woman suffering abuse in the Deep South, in the Broadway revival of the musical The Color Purple. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and also won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album alongside the cast of The Color Purple.
Erivo transitioned to film acting in 2018 with roles in Drew Goddard's neo-noir thriller film Bad Times at the El Royale and Steve McQueen's heist drama Widows. In 2019, she gained national acclaim for portraying slave abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Kasi Lemmons' historical biopic Harriet, receiving Best Actress nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also performed and co-wrote the film's lead song "Stand Up" with Joshuah Brian Campbell, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
In 2020, Erivo starred in the miniseries The Outsider, being nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Awards and the Critics' Choice Super Awards. The following year, she portrayed Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha, receiving nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Satellite Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In 2024, Erivo starred as Elphaba Thropp in Wicked, the first of two film adaptations of the stage musical. She garnered critical acclaim for the role and was subsequently nominated for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Movie Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. With her Academy Award nomination, Erivo joined actress Viola Davis as the second black actress to be nominated multiple times for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She reprised her role as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good (2025) and became the first Black woman to earn multiple Lead Actress (Comedy) nominations at the Golden Globe Awards when she was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for the film.
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Work Result 2020 Best Original Song "Stand Up" (from Harriet) Best ActressHarriet 2025 Wicked
Actor Awards Year Category Work Result 2020 Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role Harriet 2022Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Television MovieGenius: Aretha 2025 Outstanding Cast in a Motion PictureWicked Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role
BAFTA Awards Year Category Work Result British Academy Film Awards 2019BAFTA Rising Star Award 2025 Best Actress in a Leading Role Wicked
Emmy Awards Year Category Work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 2021 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Genius: Aretha 2025 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Poker Face (episode: "The Game Is a Foot") 2026 Outstanding Variety Special (Live) 78th Annual Tony Awards Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) Wicked: One Wonderful Night Daytime Emmy Awards 2017 Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program The Color Purple Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2026 Outstanding Single Voice Role Performer RoboGobo
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Work Result 2020 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Harriet Best Original Song – Motion Picture "Stand Up" (from Harriet) 2022 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Genius: Aretha 2025Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Wicked 2026 Wicked: For Good
Grammy Awards Year Category Work Result 2017 Best Musical Theater Album The Color Purple 2020 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Stand Up" 2026 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Defying Gravity" Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella "Be Okay" Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaWicked: The Soundtrack
Tony Awards Year Category Work Result 2016 Best Leading Actress in a Musical The Color Purple [https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/2016-tony-awards-nominations-full-list-award-nominees-1201765161/ "Tony Awards Nominations: Complete List"] , Variety, May 3, 20162023Best PlayFat Ham 2026Best Revival of a MusicalCats: The Jellicle Ball
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result American Music Awards 2025 Favorite Soundtrack Wicked: The Soundtrack 2026 Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack BET Awards 2020 Best Actress Harriet 2025 Wicked Her Award"Defying Gravity" with Ariana Grande 2026 Best Actress Herself Black Reel Awards 2018 Outstanding Original or Adapted Song "Jump" from Step 2019 Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female Bad Times at the El Royale 2020 Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture Harriet 2021 Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series Genius: Aretha 2025 Outstanding Lead Performance Wicked Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series Poker Face 2026 Outstanding Lead Performance Wicked: For Good Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2020 Best Actress Harriet Best Original Song Written for a Movie "Stand Up" (from Harriet) 2025 Best Actress Wicked Best Acting Ensemble Critics' Choice Super Awards 2021 Best Actress in a Horror Series The Outsider Critics' Choice Television Awards 2021 Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Outsider 2022 Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Genius: Aretha Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2017 Best Original Song "Jump" (from Step) GLAAD Media Awards 2025 Stephen F. Kolzak Award Herself Hollywood Film Awards 2019 Breakout Actress Harriet Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2019 Best Original Song – Feature Film "Stand Up" (from Harriet) 2024 Song – Onscreen Performance – Film "Defying Gravity" (with Ariana Grande) iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025 Favorite Soundtrack Wicked: The Soundtrack Irish Film & Television Awards 2025 Best International Actress Wicked United Kingdom New Year Honours 2025 Member of the British Empire For services to Music and Drama NAACP Image Awards2020 Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Harriet Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in Motion Picture Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture The cast of Harriet Outstanding Song – Traditional "Stand Up" (from Harriet) 2022 Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Genius: Aretha Outstanding New Artist Herself 2025 Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Wicked Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture The cast of Wicked Entertainer of the Year Herself 2026 Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Wicked: For Good Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) "For Good" Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards2025 Favorite Movie Actress Wicked Favorite Song from a Movie "Defying Gravity" (with Ariana Grande) Palm Springs International Film Festival 2020 Breakthrough Performance Award Harriet 2025 Creative Impact in Acting Award Wicked Queerty Awards Badass Herself Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020 Virtuoso Award Harriet 2026 Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film Satellite Awards 2020 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Harriet 2022 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Genius: Aretha 2025 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Wicked 2026 Wicked: For Good Saturn Awards 2019 Best Supporting Actress Bad Times at the El Royale 2021 Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series The Outsider 2026 Best Actress Wicked: For Good Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards 2020 Outstanding Original Song for Visual Media "Stand Up" (from Harriet) Sundance Film Festival 2025 Visionary Award Herself Webby Awards 2025 Video & Film, Long Form Cynthia Erivo Teaches Storytelling - Celebrity Substitute - Amazon Variety & Reality, General Video & Film (Video & Film) Wicked Stars Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Break Down Viral ‘Holding Space’ Interview World Soundtrack Awards 2019 Best Original Song Written for a Film "Stand Up"
Theatre awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Drama Desk Award 2016 Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Color Purple Drama League Award 2016 Distinguished Performance Theatre World Award 2016 Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance WhatsOnStage Awards 2014 Best Actress in a Musical
Critics awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Astra Film Awards2024 Best Actress Wicked Best Cast Ensemble 2026 Best Actress - Comedy or Musical Wicked: For Good Best Cast Ensemble Astra TV Awards 2021 Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Genius: Aretha 2025 Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Poker Face Celebration of Cinema and Television 2024 Actress – Film Award Wicked Chicago Film Critics Association 2024 Best Actress Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2013 Best Musical Performance The Color Purple Houston Film Critics Society 2020 Best Original Song "Stand Up" (from Harriet) 2025 Best Actress Wicked Kansas City Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Actress London Film Critics' Circle 2019 Supporting Actress of the Year Bad Times at the El Royale 2020 Best British/Irish Actress of the Year Harriet 2025 Best British/Irish Performer of the Year Drift, Wicked Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society 2019 Best Ensemble Cast Widows National Board of Review 2024 Spotlight Award Creative Collaboration of Herself & Ariana Grande Online Film Critics Society 2025 Best Actress Wicked Outer Critics Circle Award 2016 Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Color Purple San Diego Film Critics Society 2024 Best Actress Wicked Seattle Film Critics Society 2024 Best Actress in a Leading Role St. Louis Film Critics Association 2020 Best Actress Harriet 2024 Wicked Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2018 Best Supporting Actress Bad Times at the El Royale 2024Best Actress Wicked 2025 Wicked: For Good Women Film Critics Circle2018 Best Ensemble Widows Invisible Woman Award 2019 Best Actress Harriet Best Female Action Hero
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