Paul Tazewell becomes first Black man to win Oscar for best costume design for ‘Wicked’
(Gray News) – History has been made at the 97th Academy Awards as the Oscar for best costume design goes home with a Black man for the first time.
Paul Tazewell, who designed costumes for the film adaptation of “Wicked,” was previously the first Black man nominated for the category for his work on 2021’s “West Side Story.”
“This is absolutely astounding. Thank you, Academy, for this significant honor,” he said during his acceptance speech.
During his speech, Tazewell also gave numerous thanks to the actors whose costumes he created, including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Tazewell began his career in theatre in the 1990s and would go on to receive a Tony award for best costume design of a musical for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2016 musical “Hamilton.”
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