Colman Domingo Honored With A Native Son Award
It’s never too late. That’s the lesson you can draw from Colman Domingo’s career. The 55-year-old has gone from journeyman actor to the star of several projects, including the Netflix comedy The Four Seasons. That’s one of two shows he’s currently starring in, as he’s also the lead character in The Madness.
Fresh off being one of the co-hosts for the 2025 Met Gala along with Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams, Domingo found himself once again connected to Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Last week, he was honored with a Native Son Award. Created by former Vibe fashion editor Emil Wilbekin and hosted this year by Don Lemon, it honors outstanding Black men in the LGBTQ+ community.
Domingo was honored alongside Sean Bankhead, multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams, Dr. David J. Johns, designer Paul Tazewell, the first African American man to win an Oscar in costume design for Wicked, who recently added a Tony for his work on Death Becomes Her, and HIV/AIDS activist Phill Wilson.
Domingo was handed the award by Wintour, who joked, “This spring, I seemed to have popped up almost everywhere he goes,” she said. “Of course, I cannot get enough of Colman, and I’ve come to understand that’s a fairly universal experience.”
She added, “I’m so honored to be here with you. And I’m so honored to bestow this Native Son Award. Thank you, thank you, Colman for inspiring all of us for being worthy of the effort you give, and what are we going to do next week?”
In his acceptance speech, Domingo asked his fellow nominees to stand up and thanked Wintour and Wilbekin.
Thank you so much, Anna, for this beautiful surprise to honor me this way… I love our friendship,” he said, tearing up.
Wintour named Domingo as a co-chair of this year’s Met Gala. He and his co-hosts were on one of four Vogue covers promoting the Gala. Domingo personified the theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which was the inspiration for the dress code “Tailored for You.” During his promo run for back-to-back Oscars nods for Rustin in 2024 and Sing Sing in 2025, Domingo was heralded for his exquisite red carpet ‘fits, turning him into an overnight fashion icon.
His stylists, Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, who form the duo Wayman + Micah, dressed him for the Oscars promo run and for the Met Gala. He wore a custom Valentino cape with Boucheron jewelry, then took the cape off to reveal a plaid and tweed ensemble.
“I am a Black man who loves style, loves tailoring, and it struck me that I had never seen images like that—of myself, saying, I belong in these clothes,” he told Vogue before the Gala. “I always had to look for a vision outside of myself.”
