Paul Tazewell, an Akron, Ohio, native and former faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, made history Sunday night at the 97th Academy Awards when he became the first Black man to win an Oscar for best costume design for the theatrical adaptation of the Broadway musical "Wicked.

Wicked,” a movie musical demanding acres of fabric and untold work hours, scored a widely predicted win for costume design. The trophy made costume designer Paul Tazewell the first Black man to win an award in this category.

Ruth Carter became the first Black woman to win in the category for 'Black Panther' in 2019. One of the night’s most poignant moments occurred early in the Oscars 2025 telecast, when Paul Tazewell won the Academy Award for best costume design for his work on Wicked.