UNC School of Arts grad Paul Tazewell earns Tony Award

UNC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Paul Tazewell, a 1986 UNC School of the Arts alumnus, earned a best costume Tony Award.

Paul Tazewell is having a great year.

The 1986 UNC School of the Arts alumnus earned a Tony Award for best costume design of a musical for his work on “Death Becomes Her,” at the 78th annual theater showcase, making him only the second costume designer to win a Tony and an Oscar in the same year. The other was Irene Sharaff, in 1952. Tazewell, who is also the first Black man to win an Academy Award for costume design for the film “Wicked,” was previously nominated for an Oscar for his work on “West Side Story” and won a Tony Award in 2016 for best costume design of a musical for “Hamilton.”

Tazewell also has an Emmy for "The Wiz Live!" (2016), making him a Grammy short of the quadruple crown in major entertainment awards. 

An eight-time Tony nominee, Tazewell, an Akron, Ohio, native, earned notice with his Broadway debut, “Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk,” which led to contributions with “In the Heights,” “MJ The Musical” and “The Color Purple.” 

Tazewell’s film credits include “Harriet” and Disney+’s “Hamilton,” and his television work earned an Emmy for NBC’s “The Wiz Live!”Three additional alumni from the schools of Dance and Drama were also nominated for Tonys.

They include:

• Orin Wolf (high school 1997) was nominated as a producer for best musical nominee “Buena Vista Social Club,” which won four Tonys. 

• Camille A. Brown (2001) was nominated for best choreography for “Gypsy,” which received five nominations. 

• Holly Pierson (2006) earned her first nomination for best costume design of a play for her work on “Oh, Mary!” which won two awards. 

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