Paul Tazewell has made history at the 2025 Academy Awards. The costume designer who is responsible for the wardrobe for Wicked has won the Oscar for Best Costume Design. Tazwell is the first Black man to win this award. (This is a monumental moment for him).
“This is absolutely astounding. Thank you Academy for this very significant honor,” Tazewell shared at the Oscars. “I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award for my work on Wicked. I’m so proud of this.”
“Thank you everyone in the U.K. for all of your beautiful work, I could not have done this without you,” Tazewell noted immediately after he thanked and spoke of his family. “My Ozian muses, Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande], I love you so much–all the other cast, thank you thank you thank you, for trusting me with bringing your characters to life. This is everything. Director Jon M. Chu and producer [Marc Platt], thank you.”
Tazewell is a Tony Award winner due to this work on Hamilton. Other recent work includes Harriet (2019) and West Side Story (2021).
In a previous ESSENCE.com interview, the designer shared how he brings newness to the fashion industry. “I have a passion for telling stories through clothing. That core value feeds into every project that I work on. I’m influenced by the directors and actors that I get to collaborate with.”
He added: “Working on these productions, I’m always interested in exploring my own visceral, emotional connection to each piece and manifesting that through the looks you see on-stage or in the films.”
Wicked received 10 Oscar nominations in total.