Cynthia Erivo, the acclaimed actress and singer and star of the Wicked film series, has expressed profound honour at being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours list, a recognition she admitted she “never thought would happen”.
The prestigious award acknowledges her significant contributions to music and drama.
At 38, Erivo stands on the cusp of EGOT status, a rare achievement in the entertainment industry. She has already secured a Grammy, a Daytime Emmy, and a Tony Award, needing only an Oscar to complete the coveted quartet.
Speaking to the Press Association, she remarked: “To be given this recognition to celebrate the work that I love to do within the arts, specifically music and drama, is an honour I could never have thought would happen. I hope it shows that I care deeply about the work and will continue to do so to the best of my abilities.”
Born in Stockwell, London, on 8 January 1987, the West End and Broadway star honed her craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2010. Her early career saw her land a role in The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg in 2011, followed by the lead as Deloris Van Cartier in the UK tour of Sister Act. She also featured in the 2014 X Factor-inspired musical I Can’t Sing, penned by Harry Hill.
Erivo’s breakthrough arrived with her compelling portrayal of Celie in The Colour Purple. After a stint at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013, she earned a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the Broadway revival in 2016. This success was swiftly followed by a Grammy in early 2017 for Best Musical Theatre Album as one of the principal soloists on The Colour Purple record, and a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Programme with the cast.
Her transition to the big screen began the following year with roles in the crime film Widows and the neo-noir thriller Bad Times At The El Royale.
Erivo has also garnered critical acclaim for her portrayals of historical figures, most notably as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 eponymous biopic, which chronicled Tubman’s escape from slavery and her transformation into an American heroine. This role earned her Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations, alongside the breakthrough performance award at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Film Awards Gala in 2020. In 2024, she took on the role of prolific singer Aretha Franklin in the anthology series Genius: MLK/X.
The 2020s have seen Erivo continue to accumulate accolades, including Oscar nominations for Harriet and Wicked, and three Grammy nominations. Reflecting on the 2020 Oscars, which followed the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, Erivo described it as “saddening” to be the sole person of colour nominated in an acting category that year, calling the ceremony’s lack of diversity “a real eye-opener”. Her diverse filmography also includes Odette Raine in Luther: The Fallen Sun and Holly Gibney in the US TV series The Outsider.
Erivo’s ascent to mega-stardom was cemented during the 2024 press tour for Wicked, where she stars as the green witch Elphaba in the two-part film adaptation of the hit musical, alongside pop sensation Ariana Grande as Glinda. She revealed on US chat show The View that she was drawn to the role due to her personal connection with feeling like an outsider.
“When I first saw it a good few years ago, I felt like I recognised something in the character, the feeling of being on the outside, being a bit different, not fitting in,” she shared.
Looking ahead, Erivo and Grande performed “Defying Gravity” from Wicked at the 2025 Oscars, where both were nominated for awards.
Also in 2025, Erivo hosted the Tony Awards and played Jesus in a major Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2026, she is set to star as Dracula in a gothic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel at the Noel Coward Theatre. She recently received a Golden Globe nomination and is widely anticipated to secure an Oscar nomination for her role in the second Wicked movie, For Good.
