‘Wicked’ Costume Designer Paul Tazewell Makes Oscars History as First Black Male Winner
Wicked‘s Paul Tazewell made Oscars history on Sunday night when he took home the award for Best Costume Design, becoming the first Black man to win in the category. Tazewell, who designed Glinda’s bubblegum pink gowns and Elphaba’s crow-colored garb, received a standing ovation as he took to the stage, where he acknowledged his historic win.
“I’m the first Black man to receive the Costume Design award,” Tazewell said, thanking his cast and crew. “Thank you for trusting me with bringing your characters to life. This is everything.”
More from Rolling Stone
Ruth Carter became the first Black woman to take home the costume design trophy for Black Panther in 2019. She won again in 2023 for her work on the sequel, Wakanda Forever.
To introduce the category, cast members from each film nominee took to the stage to honor the nominees. But while most were dressed in their Oscars best, Bowen Yang, who plays an unwavering confidante to Glinda in Wicked, appeared in his full Shiz University attire.
“I thought we were all doing this,” Yang said in the skit before Elle Fanning informed him that they all changed their mind about the bit. “That would’ve been helpful to communicate in the group chat, Elle Fanning.”
Tazewell, who previously received an Oscar nomination for his designs in West Side Story, was up against A Complete Unknown’s Arianne Phillips, Conclave’s Lisy Christl, Gladiator II’s Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, and Nosferatu’s Linda Muir.
Backstage, Tazewell called the win the “pinnacle of my career.”
“I’ve been designing costumes for over 35 years,” he told reporters. “Much of it has been on Broadway and now into film. The whole way through, there was never a Black male designer that I saw that I could follow, that I could see as inspiration. And to realize that, that’s actually me – it becomes a Wizard of Oz moment, you know. It’s like, [there’s] no place like home. …It’s really remarkable.”
Wicked, adapted from the Broadway musical, follows the green-skinned Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, as she attends Shiz University and rooms with the popular Glinda, played by Ariana Grande. The costume design win marked Wicked’s first win of the night. The musical, which banked more than $650 million at the global box office last year, received 10 nominations. The film’s inseparable stars Grande and Erivo, picked up Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominations, respectively. Wicked also earned recognition in the makeup and hairstyling, original score, and visual effects categories.
Best of Rolling Stone
Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
