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The 2025 Oscars nominee list was riddled with Wicked in every category, from Best Sound and Best Score to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who received nods for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
But one of the most integral elements of the movie is the transformation that Erivo’s character Elphaba and Grade’s Glinda underwent thanks to their intricate and thoughtful wardrobe.
So when it came to announcing the winner of the Best Costume Design, Wicked beat out some tough competition in Nosferatu, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, and Gladiator II.
Costume designer Paul Tazewell directed the musical’s wardrobe, and by winning the award, he made history as the first Black man to earn the honor.
Upon taking the stage to give his acceptance speech, he expressed how big of a deal it is.
“This is absolutely astounding. Thank you, Academy, for this very significant honor. I am the first Black man to receive the costume design award for my work on ‘Wicked.’ I’m so proud of this,” he said as the crowd applauded. Thank you everyone in the UK for all of your beautiful work I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you to all the other cast members for trusting me to bring your characters to life. This is everything.”
Tazewell’s win comes on the heels of Ruth E. Carter’s 2019 win for Best Costume Design for Black Panther when she became the first Black woman to win the award and then doubled down in 2023 when she won again for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Tazewell’s win is a long time coming. The NYU graduate has previously worked on projects like Hamilton, The Color Purple, A Streetcar Named Desire, and the jukebox musical MJ, based on Michael Jackson. His work within The Wiz universe dates back to when he worked on NBC’s The Wiz Live!, which earned him an Emmy.
His Oscar victory brings him one step closer to EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status, as he also won a Tony for Hamilton.
See social media’s reaction to the historic win below.
