Cynthia Erivo made history when her performance as Elphaba in the fantasy musical ‘Wicked’ made her only the second Black actress to received multiple nominations for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.

The London-born star earnt her first nod for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in the biopic ‘Harriet’. She lost out to Renee Zellweger that year but has been tipped to take home this prize at the 2025 ceremony.

Previously, only one Black women has won the Academy Award for Best Actress. More than two decades has passed since Halle Berry won the award for ‘Monster’s Ball' and she told Trevor Noah’s ‘What Now?’ podcast that she is hoping that Berry can become the second.

“I hope this year someone stands next to me,” she told Noah. “I hope it happens because I’m tired of occupying that space alone.”

“I knew it was bigger than me,” Berry said, reflecting on her 2002 triumph. “I was chosen in that moment to be a beacon of possibility and I do think it served that purpose.”

Having already won an Emmy, Grammy and a Tony Award, Erivo would become the youngest person to complete the ‘EGOT’ quadruple if she takes home the Oscar on Sunday.

Who are the nominees for Best Actress at the Oscars?

The 97th Academy Awards will take place at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles this weekend. One of the most competitive categories is the race to be crowned Best Actress, with a mixture of established stars and breakthrough talents competing for the gong.

Karla Sofía Gascón has earnt rave reviews for her eponymous role in ‘Emilia Pérez’, the film which won 13 awards nominations at the Oscars. Many experts have tipped Mikey Madison to take home the award for her work on ‘Anora’, which has also been shortlisted for six Academy Awards.

Rounding out the five-name shortlist for Best Actress are Demi Moore for ‘The Substance’ and Fernanda Torres for ‘I’m Still Here'. They will all be looking to follow in the footsteps of Emma Stone, whose role in ‘Poor Things’ won her second Academy Award for Best Actress in 2024. Stone had previously won the award for ‘La La Land’ in 2017.

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