Can Paul Tazewell win a Grammy? We’re not sure, but if he does, he’d make history. The acclaimed costume designer won his first Academy Award for his impressive frocks in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” at the 2025 Oscars. He already has an Emmy Award for “The Wiz Live!” and a Tony Award for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.” Perhaps he should consider picking up songwriting.
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The Universal Pictures blockbuster earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Tazwell was one of the lucky winners. He can now add the Academy Award to the BAFTA Award, Critics Choice Award, and Costume Design Guild Award he’s received over the past few weeks.
He becomes just the second African American to win this category after Ruth Carter, who won it in 2019 and 2022 for “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Tazwell’s was previously nominated for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” two years ago. His only other film credit to date is 2019’s “Harriet,” also starring Cynthia Erivo.
A majority of Tazwell’s work is on the stage where he’s earned nine Tony Award nominations overall including for his Broadway debut, “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk,” “In The Heights,” “Memphis,” the 2012 revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” “MJ The Musical,” and “Suffs.” His other stage credits include the original production of “The Color Purple,” the 2009 “Guys and Dolls” revival, the 2010 “The Miracle Worker” restaging, the 2012 revival of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” “Mr. Saturday Night,” and, most recently, “Death Becomes Her.”
The Ohio native’s other television credits are “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” starring Oprah Winfrey, and NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles.
“Wicked” is now available to stream on Peacock
