While the world knows Ariana Grande as one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, there’s another talent fans sometimes forget she has: celebrity impressions. Long before they started going viral across social media, Ariana was stunning audiences with eerily accurate impersonations of everyone from Britney Spears and Celine Dion to Jennifer Coolidge, Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence—and even babies and lambs (LOL!).
Whether she’s perfectly recreating a famous singer’s voice or nailing their facial expressions and mannerisms, Ariana’s impressions are so convincing they often leave fans doing a double take. Below, we’ve rounded up every Ariana Grande impression we could find, complete with videos, where each performance happened, and why each one became unforgettable.
Who has Ariana Grande impersonated?
Jump to:
- Ariel, Britney Spears, Shakira (on YouTube)
- Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry
- Rihanna, Whitney Houston on SNL
- Amy Lee and Mariah Carey
- Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion on ‘Jimmy Fallon’
- Celine Dion
- Judy Garland
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Jennifer Coolidge
- Pete Davidson and Nonna
- Mariah Carey Tribute
- Celine Dion on ‘Saturday Night Live’
- Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani
- Hermione Granger
Ariana’s First Celebrity Impressions: Ariel, Britney Spears, Shakira & More
This is the very first time the world gets a glimpse of Ariana Grande’s hidden talent for celebrity impressions. Long before she becomes one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, Ariana and her brother, Frankie, share a video showcasing her uncanny ability to mimic voices. She effortlessly switches between impressions of Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Britney Spears, Shakira, and even performs a song from The Wizard of Oz, capturing each performer’s tone, delivery and personality with remarkable accuracy.
Her talent doesn’t stop at celebrities. Ariana also hilariously recreates the sounds of a crying and laughing baby. As an animal lover, it’s no surprise that she also pulls off an impressively convincing lamb impression. It’s pretty obvious that if Ariana hears a voice—or even a sound—she can probably imitate it.
Ariana Grande’s Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry Impressions
Another day, another masterclass in impressions.
In this compilation, Ariana mimics British singer Jessie J and rap superstar Nicki Minaj, years before their collaboration on Bang Bang. She once again brings back fan-favorite impressions of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Shakira while introducing several new voices into her growing repertoire.
Among the highlights are her takes on legendary actress and singer Judy Garland and Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee. What makes these impressions so entertaining is Ariana’s ability to adapt not only her singing voice but also each artist’s unique vocal style, phrasing and personality, making every performance feel distinct rather than exaggerated.
Ariana’s 2015 SNL Impressions: Rihanna, Whitney Houston & More
Ariana steals the show during her memorable 2015 appearance on Saturday Night Live, proving that she’s just as talented at comedy as she is at singing.
The sketch begins with a flawless Britney Spears performance before Ariana seamlessly transitions into an impressive Shakira impression. She then takes on Rihanna, showcasing her ability to switch between completely different vocal styles with ease.
To top it all off, Ariana delivers spot-on impressions of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, two of the most technically demanding singers to imitate. It’s one of the performances that firmly establishes her as one of Hollywood’s most gifted celebrity impressionists.
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Ariana’s Amy Lee and Mariah Carey Impressions
This time, Ariana channels Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee during a goth rock challenge before delivering a performance that unmistakably sounds like Mariah Carey during the “90s Diva” category. While she never actually says Mariah’s name (perhaps unsurprising given the history between the two) the inspiration is immediately obvious to both Jimmy and the audience.
The segment perfectly demonstrates how Ariana can adapt to completely different genres while still capturing the tiny vocal details that make each artist instantly recognizable.
Ariana’s Wheel of Musical Impressions: Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion & Others
One of Ariana’s most iconic impression performances comes during a 2015 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the fan-favorite game, Wheel of Musical Impressions.
The challenge requires Ariana to sing random songs in the style of randomly selected artists, a difficult task that highlights just how remarkable her vocal control really is. She leaves both Jimmy Fallon and the audience speechless as she performs Mary Had a Little Lamb as Britney Spears, The Wheels on the Bus as Christina Aguilera, and The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face as Celine Dion.
The performance quickly goes viral and remains one of the clips fans revisit most often whenever they talk about Ariana’s hidden talent for celebrity impressions.
Ariana’s Most Iconic Celine Dion Impersonation
Let’s just say the singer’s favorite celebrities to impersonate is Celine Dion… and it’s one of her best. From Celine’s French accent to her famous heart-pounding hand gestures, Ariana totally nailed her imitation.
Unlike many celebrity impersonators, Ariana doesn’t just copy a singer’s voice—she recreates their phrasing, breathing patterns, facial expressions and stage mannerisms. That’s why her Celine Dion impression on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon feels less like a parody and more like watching Celine herself.
Ariana’s Judy Garland Impression
During a 2016 Saturday Night Live sketch, Ariana delivers one of her most unexpected impressions by transforming into Hollywood legend Judy Garland.
In the comedy sketch, Garland hilariously attempts to reboot her career by starring in a futuristic musical space movie. Ariana doesn’t just imitate Garland’s singing voice, she also recreates her distinctive mannerisms, expressions and theatrical performance style, making the character instantly believable.
Ariana Grande’s Jennifer Lawrence Impression
Ariana once again proves she can effortlessly transform into Hollywood’s biggest stars during a 2016 Saturday Night Live “Celebrity Family Feud” sketch, where she delivers an uncannily accurate impression of Jennifer Lawrence.
From Jennifer’s vocal inflections to her energetic delivery and unmistakable speaking style, Ariana captures the actress so convincingly that it’s easy to forget you’re not actually listening to J-Law herself. Rather than exaggerating the performance for laughs, Ariana focuses on the subtle details that make the impression feel authentic.
Even Jennifer Lawrence herself is impressed. During an interview with Vogue, the actress describes Ariana’s impersonation as “spot-f–king-on,” making it one of the rare celebrity impressions to earn praise from the person being impersonated.
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Ariana’s Jennifer Coolidge Impression
During a 2018 interview on The Tonight Show, Ariana cracked out another impression, and this time, it was of Jennifer Coolidge from the hit movie, Legally Blonde. The clip was so good that it sent the internet into a frenzy.
Even Coolidge herself praised the performance, joking on Instagram, “I’m always so impressed when someone can do a great impression of me but @arianagrande is so good on @fallontonight, I’m afraid she is going to introduce me to myself!” I still consider it one of her funniest non-singing impressions.
Ariana Grande’s Pete Davidson and Nonna Impression
During another appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ariana showcases yet another side of her impression skills by hilariously recreating a fictional conversation between her then-fiancé Pete Davidson and her beloved Nonna.
It’s a reminder that Ariana’s talent isn’t limited to famous female singers. She effortlessly switches between Pete’s laid-back speaking voice and Nonna’s unmistakable personality, creating an entertaining back-and-forth that has Jimmy Fallon—and the audience—laughing throughout.
Ariana Grande’s Mariah Carey Tribute
Given how often Ariana Grande has been compared to Mariah Carey throughout her career, it’s no surprise that she can sound remarkably similar to the legendary singer.
While this isn’t a celebrity impression in the traditional sense, Ariana’s performance of Mariah’s hit Emotions deserves a place on the list. Her effortless whistle notes, soaring vocal runs and incredible control make it feel less like a cover and more like a loving tribute to one of her biggest musical influences.
If you didn’t know who was singing, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was Mariah herself.
Ariana Is Celine Dion on ‘Saturday Night Live’
Nearly a decade after her original Celine Dion impression became a fan favorite, Ariana brings the iconic impersonation back during her 2024 return to Saturday Night Live…and somehow makes it even funnier.
Appearing in a sketch imagining what it would be like if streaming services had existed decades ago, Ariana hilariously portrays Celine as she performs over-the-top renditions of modern songs. She perfectly recreates the Canadian superstar’s dramatic pronunciation, theatrical gestures and powerful vocals while adding just enough comedy to make the sketch unforgettable.
Ariana’s Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani Impressions
Ariana couldn’t resist showing off her incredible impression skills during her Saturday Night Live stint in 2024.
In this short clip, she rapidly switches between Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani, flawlessly capturing each artist’s unique voice in just a matter of seconds. From Britney’s instantly recognizable breathy delivery to Miley’s raspy tone and Gwen’s distinctive singing style, Ariana proves she can transform almost instantly without missing a beat.
Ariana Grande’s Hermione Granger Impression
Who knew Ariana Grande had a spot-on Hermione Granger impression in her back pocket?
During her press promo for Wicked: For Good with co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, Ariana is asked to perform her impression of Hermione, played by Emma Watson in the Harry Potter films. Without hesitation, she delivers the iconic line, “You’ve got dirt on your nose” with Hermione’s unmistakable British accent and emotional vocal delivery.
Whether she’s perfectly recreating Celine Dion’s mannerisms, Jennifer Coolidge’s unmistakable voice or Britney Spears’ signature vocals, Ariana Grande has proven she’s much more than a powerhouse singer.
Her uncanny impressions have become a defining part of her career, and every new performance reminds fans why she’s one of pop culture’s most entertaining entertainers.
Article originally published in 2020, but was updated in 2026 to include Ariana’s more recent impressions and update the content vastly.
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