Paul Tazewell made history at the Oscars on Sunday (02.03.25).
The 60-year-old costume designer took the Best Costume Design prize for his work on ‘Wicked’, becoming the first Black man to take the “very significant” honour.
Speaking on stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, he said: “This is absolutely astounding. Thank you, Academy, for this very significant honour.
“I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award for my work on ‘Wicked’. I’m so proud of this.”
Paul – who was nominated in the same category for ‘West Side Story’ in 2022 – went on to thank “Ozian muses” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as well as the rest of the cast of ‘Wicked’.
He added: “Thank you for trusting me with bringing your characters to life. This is everything.”
Paul’s win – which came in a category that also featured Arianne Phillips (‘A Complete Unknown’), Janty Yates and David Crossman (‘Gladiator II’), Lisy Christl (‘Conclave’) and Linda Muir (‘Nosforatu’) – comes after Ruth E. Carter became the first Black person to win Best Costume Design for 2018’s ‘Black Panther’. She repeated the honour for the film’s 2022 sequel ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’.
Paul has swept the board this awards season for his work creating over 1,000 costumes for ‘Wicked’, winning at the BAFTAS, Critics Choice and Costume Designers Guild awards.
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This Academy Award win puts him three quarters on the way of the coveted EGOT, having previously won an Emmy for ‘The Wiz Live’ and a Tony Award for ‘Hamilton’. As well as an Oscar, the EGOT is rounded out by a Grammy win.
