It's only fitting that shortly after Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the 97th Academy Awards with an emotional rendition of "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked" — resulting in a roar of standing applause from attendees — that the stars themselves would find occasion to leap to their own feet to congratulate the film's costume designer, Paul Tazewell, who had a large hand in making their characters come to life.
Awarded a trophy for best costume design by presenter Bowen Yang — outfitted in his character's ensemble from the film — Tazewell made mention at the top of his acceptance speech that he's the first Black man to win in the category at the Academy Awards although, as Variety points out, his was an expected win, having swept the season by snagging the BAFTA, Critics Choice and Costume Designers Guild awards for his work on "Wicked."
