'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu, Ariana Grande's sweet exchange melt hearts

Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande and director Jon M. Chu remained in high spirits despite coming away empty-handed from a major awards show.

Notably, Wicked Part Two received seven nominations at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, but scored zero wins.

However the team stayed cheerful and upbeat, melting their supporters’ hearts.

Taking to Instagram Stories on Sunday, January 4, the filmmaker posted two black and white snapshots with Grande, 32.

In one photo the two were smiling ear to ear, meanwhile the other image showed the 7 Rings hitmaker whispering something into Jon’s ears.

"So honoured to be with @arianagrande on this journey," he captioned the snapshots.

The former Nickelodeon star responded to the 46-year-old director’s sweet shout out with the same love.

She reposted his story on her own Instagram Stories with a lovely caption that read, "Love you so much [teary eyes emoji and heart and infinity icon]."

For the unversed, among the seven nominations including Best Picture and Best Song: The Girl in the Bubble by Stephen Schwartz, Grande got a nom in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance as Glinda.

Despite being a top contender for the 98th Academy Awards shortlists with 8 mentions, the Wicked: For Good was "shut out" at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards held on January 4, 2026.