Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album

The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959.

The award is generally given to the album's producers, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more playing time of the album, though the number of recipients has varied over the category's tenure.

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
Awarded forQuality musical theater cast recordings
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First awardedThe Music Man (1959)
Currently held bySome Like It Hot (2024)
Websitegrammy.com

The inaugural award was presented at the 1st Grammy Awards to composer Meredith Willson for his work on his 1957 musical The Music Man. Ethel Merman and Gwen Verdon became the first female recipients the in 1960 when they tied for Gypsy and Redhead. Stephen Sondheim and Thomas Z. Shepard hold the record for most wins in the category, with six each, while Sondheim holds the record for most nominations, with eleven. Tommy Krasker holds the record for most nominations without a win, with eight. To date, two-time recipient Phillipa Soo is the only woman to win more than one award. Among shows, cast recordings from Gypsy, West Side Story, Into the Woods, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street have been nominated four times each respectively, with Gypsy, West Side Story, Into the Woods, and Les Misérables are the only shows to win twice. Anything Goes, Hello, Dolly!, The King and I, and My Fair Lady hold the record for most nominations without a win, with three. The current recipient of the award is Some Like It Hot, which won at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024.

Process

Over the years, the qualifications for the individual nominees has fluctuated with principal artists, composers, and producers at one point being the sole eligible nominee, to the current (as of the 66th Grammy Awards) standard which is as follows: "For albums containing greater than 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principal vocalist(s), and the album producer(s) of 50% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of 50 % or more of a score of a new recording are eligible for an Award if any previous recording of said score has not been nominated in this category."

Vocalists were first awarded in this category at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. When an album does not feature any individual soloists and predominantly features an ensemble cast, no individual award is given to the members of the ensemble, with each member instead receiving a winners certificate. As of the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, only a maximum of four principle vocalists can be awarded (previously unlimited), in addition to the producer/s and lyricists/composers.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for music released in the previous year.

Name changes

This award has had several minor name changes:

  • In 1959 the award was known as Best Original Cast Album (Broadway or TV)
  • In 1960 it was awarded as Best Broadway Show Album
  • In 1961 it was awarded as Best Show Album (Original Cast)
  • From 1962 to 1963 it was awarded as Best Original Cast Show Album
  • From 1964 to 1973 it was awarded as Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album
  • From 1974 to 1975 it was awarded as Best Score From the Original Cast Show Album
  • From 1976 to 1986 it was awarded as Best Cast Show Album
  • From 1987 to 1991 it was awarded as Best Musical Cast Show Album
  • From 1992 to 2011 it was awarded as Best Musical Show Album
  • From 2012 it has been known as Best Musical Theater Album.

Winner and nominees

Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Inaugural recipient Meredith Willson.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
1968 winner and four-time nominee John Kander.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Stephen Sondheim holds the record for most wins in this category, with six.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Three-time winner Charles Strouse.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Two-time winner Andrew Lloyd Webber received awards in 1981 and 1984 for his hit shows Evita and Cats, respectively.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Quincy Jones won the award in 1982.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
2001 recipient Elton John.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
2012 winner Andrew Rannells.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Two-time winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Alex Lacamoire has received the award three times.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Two-time nominee Jonathan Groff won in 2016 as part of the cast of Hamilton.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Cyndi Lauper won in 2014, and was nominated again in 2017, for her show Kinky Boots.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Sara Bareilles was nominated as a lyricist in 2017 for Waitress, and won in 2023 as a principal vocalist in Into the Woods.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Jennifer Hudson received an award in 2017 as a vocalist in The Color Purple.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
2018 recipient Ben Platt won for his leading role in Dear Evan Hansen.
Grammy Award For Best Musical Theater Album 
Anaïs Mitchell won in 2020 for her musical Hadestown.
Year[I] Performing artist(s) Work Nominees Ref.
1959 Meredith Willson (composer/lyricist) The Music Man
1960 Ethel Merman (artist) Gypsy
Gwen Verdon (artist) Redhead
1961 Richard Rodgers (composer)
Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist)
The Sound of Music
1962 Frank Loesser (composer/lyricist) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
1963 Richard Rodgers (composer/lyricist) No Strings
1964 Jerry Bock (composer)
Sheldon Harnick (lyricist)
She Loves Me
1965 Jule Styne (composer)
Bob Merrill (lyricist)
Funny Girl
1966 Burton Lane (composer)
Alan Jay Lerner (lyricist)
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1967 Jerry Herman (composer/lyricist) Mame
1968 John Kander (composer)
Fred Ebb (lyricist)
 · produced by Goddard Lieberson
Cabaret
1969 Galt MacDermot (composer)
James Rado & Gerome Ragni (lyricists)
 · produced by Andy Wiswell
Hair
1970 Burt Bacharach (composer)
Hal David (lyricist)
 · produced by Henry Jerome & Phil Ramone
Promises, Promises
1971 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Thomas Z. Shepard
Company
1972 Stephen Schwartz (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Stephen Schwartz
Godspell
1973 Micki Grant (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Jerry Ragavoy
Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope
1974 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Goddard Lieberson
A Little Night Music
1975 Judd Woldin (composer)
Robert Brittan (lyricist)
 · produced by Thomas Z. Shepard
Raisin
1976 Charlie Smalls (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Jerry Wexler
The Wiz
1977 Hugo Peretti & Luigi Creatore (producers) Bubbling Brown Sugar
1978 Charles Strouse (composer)
Martin Charnin (lyricist)
 · produced by Charles Strouse & Larry Morton
Annie
1979 Thomas Z. Shepard (producer) Ain't Misbehavin'
1980 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Thomas Z. Shepard
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer)
Tim Rice (lyricist)
 · produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice
Evita: Premier American Recording
1982 Quincy Jones (producer) Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music
1983 Henry Krieger (composer)
Tom Eyen (lyricist)
 · produced by David Foster
Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album
1984 Andrew Lloyd Webber (producer) Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording
1985 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Thomas Z. Shepard
Sunday in the Park with George
1986 John McClure (producer) West Side Story
1987 Thomas Z. Shepard (producer) Follies in Concert
1988 Claude-Michel Schönberg (composer)
 · lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer;
 · produced by Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg
Les Misérables (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
1989 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Jay David Saks
Into the Woods
1990 Jay David Saks (producer) Jerome Robbins' Broadway
1991 David Caddick (producer) Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording
1992 Cy Coleman (composer)
 · lyrics by Adolph Green & Betty Comden;
 · produced by Cy Coleman & Mike Berniker
The Will Rogers Follies
1993 Jay David Saks (producer) Guys and Dolls (The New Broadway Cast Recording)
1994 Pete Townshend (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by George Martin
The Who's Tommy
1995 Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Phil Ramone
Passion
1996 Arif Mardin, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller (producers) Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller
1997 Bill Whelan (composer/lyricist)
 · produced by Bill Whelan
Riverdance
1998 Jay David Saks (producer) Chicago: The Musical (1996 Broadway Revival Cast)
  • The Life – Cy Coleman (composer); Ira Gasman (lyricist); Mike Berniker & Cy Coleman (producers)
  • Songs from Ragtime: The Musical (1996 Concept Album) – Stephen Flaherty (composer); Lynn Ahrens (lyricist); Jay David Saks (producer)
  • Titanic – Maury Yeston (composer & lyricist); Tommy Krasker & Maury Yeston (producers)
  • 1999 Mark Mancina (producer) The Lion King
    2000 John McDaniel & Stephen Ferrera (producers) Annie Get Your Gun (The New Broadway Cast)
    2001 Elton John (composer)
     · lyrics by Tim Rice;
     · produced by Chris Montan, Frank Filipetti, Guy Babylon & Paul Bogaev;
     · engineered/mixed by Frank Filipetti
    Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
    2002 Mel Brooks (composer/lyricist)
     · produced by Hugh Fordin;
     · engineered/mixed by Cynthia Daniels
    The Producers
    2003 Marc Shaiman (composer)
     · lyrics by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman;
     · produced by Marc Shaiman;
     · engineered/mixed by Pete Karam
    Hairspray
    2004 Jay David Saks (producer)
     · engineered/mixed by Ken Hahn, Todd Whitelock & Tom Lazarus
    Gypsy: A Musical Fable
    2005 Stephen Schwartz (composer.lyricist)
     · produced by Stephen Schwartz;
     · engineered/mixed by Frank Filipetti
    Wicked
    2006 Eric Idle & John Du Prez (composers)
     · lyrics by Eric Idle;
     · produced by Eric Idle & John Du Prez;
     · engineered/mixed by Frank Filipetti
    Monty Python's Spamalot
    2007 Bob Gaudio (producer);
     · engineered/mixed by Pete Karam
    Jersey Boys
    2008 Duncan Sheik (composer)
     · lyrics by Steven Sater;
     · produced by Duncan Sheik;
     · engineered/mixed by Michael Tudor
    Spring Awakening
    2009 Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer/lyricist)
     · produced by Alex Lacamoire, Andres Levin, Bill Sherman, Joel W. Moss, Kurt Deutsch & Lin-Manuel Miranda;
     · engineered/mixed by Joel W. Moss & Tim Latham
    In the Heights
    2010 David Caddick & David Lai (producer)
     · engineered/mixed by Todd Whitelock
    West Side Story (New Broadway Cast Recording)
    2011 Billie Joe Armstrong (producer)
     · engineered/mixed by Chris Dugan & Chris Lord-Alge
    American Idiot (featuring Green Day)
    2012 Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad (artists)
     · music & lyrics by Matt Stone, Robert Lopez & Trey Parker;
     · produced by Anne Garefino, Matt Stone, Robert Lopez, Scott Rudin, Stephen Oremus & Trey Parker;
     · engineered/mixed by Frank Filipetti
    The Book of Mormon
    2013 Steve Kazee & Cristin Milioti (principal soloists)
     · produced by Steven Epstein & Martin Lowe;
     · engineered/mixed by Richard King
    Once: A New Musical
    2014 Billy Porter & Stark Sands (principal soloists)
     · music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper;
     · produced by Sammy James, Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus & William Wittman;
     · engineered/mixed by Derik Lee & William Wittman
    Kinky Boots
    2015 Jessie Mueller (principal soloist)
     · produced by Jason Howland, Steve Sidwell & Billy Jay Stein
    Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
    2016 Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists)
     · music & lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
     · produced by Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson & Tarik Trotter
    Hamilton
    2017 Danielle Brooks, Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson (principal soloists)
     · produced by Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders & Jhett Tolentino
    The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast)
    2018 Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Kristolyn Lloyd, Michael Park, Ben Platt, Will Roland & Jennifer Laura Thompson (principal soloists)
     · music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
     · produced by Pete Ganbarg, Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
    Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast)
    2019 Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Katrina Lenk & Ari'el Stachel (principal soloists)
     · music & lyrics by David Yazbek
     · produced by Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek
    The Band's Visit (Original Broadway Cast)
    2020 Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada & Patrick Page (principal soloists)
     · music & lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell
     · produced by Mara Isaacs, David Lai, Anaïs Mitchell & Todd Sickafoose
    Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast)
    2021 Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley (principal soloists)

     · lyricists: Glen Ballard and Alanis Morissette
     · produced by Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rossen & Vivek J. Tiwary

    Jagged Little Pill (Original Broadway Cast)
    2022 Emily Bear (producer); Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear (composer/lyricists) The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
    2023 Sara Bareilles, Brian d'Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists)

     · Rob Berman & Sean Patrick Flahaven (producers)

    Into the Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)
    2024 Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams (principal vocalists)
     · Scott Wittman (lyricist); Marc Shaiman (composer & lyricist)
     · Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman (producers)
    Some Like It Hot (Original Broadway Cast)

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    References

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