Paul Tazewell won an Oscar on Sunday for best costume design, making him the first Black man to win in the category. Tazewell received the trophy at the 97th Academy Awards for his excellent design work in “Wicked”.
It is his second nomination and first victory. According to the Associated Press, he had previously been nominated in the category for his work on Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
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During his victory speech, the 60-year-old designer stated, “I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award. I’m so proud of this.”
Additionally, he expressed gratitude to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who starred in “Wicked,” stating, “To my muses, Cynthia and Ariana and all the other cast. Thank you for trusting me with bringing your characters to life. This is everything.”
He later told the publication backstage that earning the prize marks the highlight of his career. He stated that it makes him humbled to motivate other Black men who want to be costume designers.
Tazwell said, “I’ve been designing costumes for over 35 years—that has been on Broadway and now it’s film. There was never a Black male designer who I saw that I could follow and see as an inspiration. But to realize now that it’s actually me.”
Tazewell has already won awards at the British Academy Film Awards, the Costume Designers Guild Awards, the Critics Choice Awards, and the BAFTAs for his work in “Wicked”, according to People.
Earlier this month, Tazewell told KABC that his most recent honor “means everything.”
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According to Teen Vogue, the costume designer worked on over 1,000 pieces in both Wicked and its follow-up film Wicked: Part Two.
Glinda and Elphaba were given 25 different looks, along with the worlds of Shiz, Munchkinland, and Emerald City. A single bodice of Glinda’s pink bubble dress took 225 hours to hand-bead and used 137 pattern pieces.
The trailblazing designer is the second Black person to win in the category, following Ruth E. Carter’s triumph in 2018 for “Black Panther,” which made her the first African American to win best costume design.
Tazewell established a famous career, winning a Tony for “Hamilton” and an Emmy in 2018 for his costume work on “The Wiz Live!” He collaborated with Erivo on his debut feature film, “Harriet,” which was released in 2019.
Tazewell has received nine Tony nominations.
He rose to fame in theater with roles in “The Color Purple,” “In the Heights,” “MJ the Musical,” “Suffs,” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
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