Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album explained

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
Awarded For:	Quality musical theater cast recordings
Presenter:	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Country:	United States
Year:	The Music Man (1959)
Holder:	Some Like It Hot (2024)
Website:	grammy.com

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.

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 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.^[1]

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.^[2]

Winner and nominees

Year	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
scope=row	1959	(composer/lyricist)	The Music Man		^[3] ^[4]
scope=row rowspan=2	1960	(artist)	Gypsy		^[5]
(artist)	Redhead
scope=row	1961	Richard Rodgers (composer) (lyricist)	The Sound of Music		^[6]
scope=row	1962	(composer/lyricist)	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying		^[7]
scope=row	1963	(composer/lyricist)	No Strings		^[8]
scope=row	1964	(composer) Sheldon Harnick (lyricist)	She Loves Me		^[9]
scope=row	1965	Jule Styne (composer) (lyricist)	Funny Girl		^[10]
scope=row	1966	Burton Lane (composer) (lyricist)	On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [11]} |-! scope=row|1967| (composer/lyricist)|Mame|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [12]} |-! scope=row|1968|John Kander (composer)
(lyricist)
|Cabaret|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [13]} |-! scope=row|1969| (composer)
James Rado & Gerome Ragni (lyricists)
|Hair|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [14]} |-! scope=row|1970| (composer)
Hal David (lyricist)
|Promises, Promises|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [15]} |-! scope=row|1971| (composer/lyricist)
|Company|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [16]} |-! scope=row|1972| (composer/lyricist)
|Godspell|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [17]} |-! scope=row|1973| (composer/lyricist)
|Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [18]} |-! scope=row|1974| (composer/lyricist)
|A Little Night Music|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [19]} |-! scope=row|1975| (composer)
Robert Brittan (lyricist)
|Raisin|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [20]} |-! scope=row|1976| (composer/lyricist)
|The Wiz|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [21]} |-! scope=row|1977| & Luigi Creatore (producers)|Bubbling Brown Sugar|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [22]} |-! scope=row|1978| (composer)
Martin Charnin (lyricist)
|Annie|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [23]} |-! scope=row|1979| (producer)|Ain't Misbehavin'|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [24]} |-! scope=row|1980| (composer/lyricist)
||| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [25]} |-! scope=row|1981| (composer)
Tim Rice (lyricist)
|Evita: Premier American Recording|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1982| (producer)||| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1983| (composer)
Tom Eyen (lyricist)
||| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1984| (producer)||| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1985| (composer/lyricist)
|Sunday in the Park with George|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1986| (producer)|West Side Story|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1987| (producer)|Follies in Concert|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1988| (composer)
|Les Misérables (Original Broadway Cast Recording)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [27]} |-! scope=row|1989| (composer/lyricist)
|Into the Woods|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1990| (producer)|Jerome Robbins' Broadway|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1991| (producer)|Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1992| (composer)
|The Will Rogers Follies|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1993| (producer)|Guys and Dolls (The New Broadway Cast Recording)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1994| (composer/lyricist)
|The Who's Tommy|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1995| (composer/lyricist)
|Passion|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1996|, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller (producers)|Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1997| (composer/lyricist)
|Riverdance|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [26]} |-! scope=row|1998| (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)

| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [28]} |-! scope=row|1999| (producer)|The Lion King|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [29]} |-! scope=row|2000| & Stephen Ferrera (producers)|Annie Get Your Gun (The New Broadway Cast)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [30]} |-! scope=row|2001| (composer)
|Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [31]} |-! scope=row|2002| (composer/lyricist)
|The Producers|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [32]} |-! scope=row|2003| (composer)
|Hairspray|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [33]} |-! scope=row|2004| (producer)
|Gypsy: A Musical Fable|| style="text-align:center;"|^[3] |-! scope=row|2005| (composer.lyricist)
|Wicked|| style="text-align:center;"|^[3] |-! scope=row|2006| & John Du Prez (composers)
|Monty Python's Spamalot|| style="text-align:center;"|^[3] |-! scope=row|2007| (producer);
|Jersey Boys|| style="text-align:center;"|^[3] |-! scope=row|2008| (composer)
|Spring Awakening|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [34]} |-! scope=row|2009| (composer/lyricist)
|In the Heights|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [35]} |-! scope=row|2010| & David Lai (producer)
|West Side Story (New Broadway Cast Recording)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [36]} |-! scope=row|2011| (producer)
|American Idiot (featuring Green Day)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [37] [38]} |-! scope=row|2012| & Josh Gad (artists)
|The Book of Mormon|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [39]} |-! scope=row|2013| & Cristin Milioti (principal soloists)
|Once: A New Musical|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [40]} |-! scope=row|2014| & Stark Sands (principal soloists)
|Kinky Boots|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[3] [41]} |-! scope=row|2015| (principal soloist)
||| style="text-align:center;"|^[3] |-! scope=row|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)
|Hamilton|| style="text-align:center;"| ^[42] |-! scope=row|2017| Danielle Brooks, Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson (principal soloists)
| The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast)|| style="text-align:center;"|^{[43] [44]} |-!2018|Laura Dreyfuss, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Kristolyn Lloyd, Michael Park, Ben Platt, Will Roland & Jennifer Laura Thompson (principal soloists)
|Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast)|||-!2019|Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Katrina Lenk & Ari'el Stachel (principal soloists)
| The Band's Visit (Original Broadway Cast)||| |-! scope=row|2020|Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada & Patrick Page (principal soloists)
|Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast)||^[45] |-! scope=row|2021|Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley (principal soloists)
|Jagged Little Pill (Original Broadway Cast)||^[46] |-! scope=row|2022| Emily Bear (producer); Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear (composer/lyricists)|The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical||^[47] |-! scope=row|2023|Sara Bareilles, Brian d'Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists)|Into the Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)||^[48] |-!2024|Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams (principal vocalists)

|Some Like It Hot (Original Broadway Cast)||^[49] |}

Shows with multiple wins and nominations

Shows with multiple wins

2 wins:

• Gypsy
• Les Misérables
• West Side Story
• Into the Woods

Shows with multiple nominations

4 nominations

• Gypsy
• West Side Story
• Into the Woods

3 nominations:

• Anything Goes
• Chicago
• Follies
• Guys and Dolls
• Hair
• Hello, Dolly!
• The King and I
• Les Misérables
• A Little Night Music
• The Music Man
• My Fair Lady

2 nominations:

• Ain't Misbehavin'
• Assassins
• Carousel
• Cabaret
• Cats
• A Chorus Line
• Company
• Crazy for You
• The Color Purple
• Fiddler on the Roof
• Flower Drum Song
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Kiss of the Spider Woman
• Kiss Me, Kate
• Kinky Boots
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Man of La Mancha
• Me and My Girl
• Nine
• Oklahoma!
• Pacific Overtures
• Promises, Promises
• Ragtime
• South Pacific
• Sweet Charity
• You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
• Zorba

Individuals with multiple wins and nominations

Individuals with multiple wins

6 wins:

• Thomas Z. Shepard
• Stephen Sondheim

5 wins:

• Frank Filipetti
• Jay David Saks

3 wins:

• Alex Lacamoire
• Charles Strouse

2 wins:

• David Caddick
• Pete Ganbarg
• Pete Karam
• Goddard Lieberson
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Stephen Oremus
• Phil Ramone
• Tim Rice
• Richard Rodgers
• Stephen Schwartz
• Marc Shaiman
• Phillipa Soo
• Bill Sherman
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Todd Whitelock
• Scott Wittman

Individuals with multiple nominations

11 nominations

• Stephen Sondheim

10 nominations

• Jay David Saks

8 nominations

• Frank Filipetti
• Tommy Krasker

7 nominations

• David Lai
• Thomas Z. Shepard

6 nominations

• Cy Coleman

5 nominations

• Hugh Fordin
• Jerry Bock
• Richard Rodgers
• Sheldon Harnick
• Stephen Schwartz
• Steven Epstein

4 nominations

• Adolph Green
• Alex Lacamoire
• Betty Comden
• Fred Ebb
• Jeanine Tesori
• John Kander
• Jule Styne
• Phil Ramone
• Robert Sher
• Ted Sperling
• Van Dean

3 nominations

• Alan Jay Lerner
• Alan Menken
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Bob Merrill
• Charles Strouse
• Chris Montan
• Danny Burstein
• David Caddick
• Jerry Herman
• Jessie Mueller
• Joel Moss
• Kurt Deutsch
• Michael Croiter
• Micki Grant
• Philip Chaffin
• Sara Bareilles
• Stephen Flaherty
• Stephen Oremus

2 nominations

• Alex Newell
• Ben Platt
• Bill Sherman
• Billy Jay Stein
• Brandon Victor Dixon
• Brian d'Arcy James
• Burt Bacharach
• Carrie Hope Fletcher
• Christian Borle
• Conrad Ricamora
• Cyndi Lauper
• David Yazbek
• Derik Lee
• Dorothy Fields
• Elliot Scheiner
• Galt MacDermot
• Gary Geld
• Goddard Lieberson
• Harvey Schmidt
• Jason Robert Brown
• Jeffrey Lesser
• Jimmy Van Heusen
• John Cariani
• Jonathan Groff
• Kelli O'Hara
• Lawrence Manchester
• Lee Adams
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Lynn Ahrens
• Marc Shaiman
• Martin Charnin
• Meredith Willson
• Michael Kosarin
• Mike Berniker
• Neal Avron
  • Norm Lewis Pete Ganbarg
• Pete Karam
• Phillipa Soo
• Peter Udell
• Rob Fisher
• Sammy Cahn
• Sammy James, Jr
• Scott Wittman
• Stephen Trask
• Steven Sater
• Tim Rice
• Todd Whitelock
• Tom Jones
• William Wittman

External links

• Official Site of the Grammy Awards

Notes and References

1. Web site: 63rd GRAMMY Awards Rules & Guidelines. June 9, 2020. GRAMMY.com. March 14, 2021. December 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201201022712/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/rules-guidelines. live.
2. Web site: Grammy Awards restructuring . 2011-09-14 . 2011-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111203215528/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/announcement/explanation-for-category-restructuring . dead .
3. Web site: Past Winners Search. Grammy.Com.
4. Web site: Grammy Awards 1959. Awards & Shows.
5. Web site: Grammy Awards 1960. Awards & Shows.
6. Web site: Grammy Awards 1961. Awards & Shows.
7. Web site: Grammy Awards 1962. Awards & Shows. 2015-03-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602005611/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1962-214.html. 2016-06-02. dead.
8. Web site: Grammy Awards 1963. Awards & Shows. 2015-03-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20161207105152/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1963-215.html. 2016-12-07. dead.
9. Web site: Grammy Awards 1964. Awards & Shows.
10. Web site: Grammy Awards 1965. Awards & Shows.
11. Web site: Grammy Awards 1966. Awards & Shows.
12. Web site: Grammy Awards 1967. Awards & Shows.
13. Web site: Grammy Awards 1968. Awards & Shows.
14. Web site: Grammy Awards 1969. Awards & Shows.
15. Web site: Grammy Awards 1970. Awards & Shows.
16. Web site: Grammy Awards 1971. Awards & Shows.
17. Web site: Grammy Awards 1972. Awards & Shows.
18. Web site: Grammy Awards 1973. Awards & Shows.
19. Web site: Grammy Awards 1974. Awards & Shows.
20. Web site: Grammy Awards 1975. Awards & Shows.
21. Web site: Grammy Awards 1976. Awards & Shows.
22. Web site: Grammy Awards 1977. Awards & Shows.
23. Web site: Grammy Awards 1978. Awards & Shows.
24. Web site: Grammy Awards 1979. Awards & Shows.
25. Web site: 22nd Grammy Awards. RockOntheNet.Com.
26. Web site: Grammy Award® Winners: Best Musical Show Album. RateYourMusic.
27. Web site: Grammy Awards 1988. Awards & Shows.
28. Web site: 40th Annual Grammy Award Nominations. DigitalHit.
29. Web site: 41st Annual Grammy Award Nominations. DigitalHit.
30. Web site: 42nd Grammy Award Nominations. DigitalHit.
31. Web site: 43rd Grammy Award Nominations. DigitalHit.
32. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/complete-list-of-grammy-nominees/ Complete List Of Grammy Nominees — CBS News
33. Web site: 45th Grammy Award Nominations Coverage. DigitalHit.
34. Web site: 50th Grammy Awards. RockOntheNet.Com.
35. Web site: 51st Grammy Awards. RockOntheNet.Com.
36. Web site: 52nd Grammy Awards. RockOntheNet.Com.
37. Web site: 53rd Grammy Awards. RockOntheNet.Com.
38. Web site: Grammy Nominations Announced. BroadwayWorld.Com.
39. Web site: 54th Grammy Award Nominations Coverage. DigitalHit.
40. Web site: Full Nomination List of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. New York Daily News. 5 December 2012 .
41. Web site: 56th Grammy Award Nominations Coverage. DigitalHit.
42. Web site: Hamilton and Fun Home Cast Albums Among Grammy Award Nominees . Playbill . December 7, 2015 . December 8, 2015 . Gioia . Michael . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160109130001/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/hamilton-and-fun-home-cast-albums-among-grammy-award-nominees-374406 . January 9, 2016 .
43. Web site: Grammy Nominations: Full List of Nominees for 59th Annual Awards. Variety. 6 December 2016 .
44. Web site: 59th Grammy Award Winners. Grammy.org The Recording Academy.
45. Web site: Hadestown Cast Recording Wins 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Meyer. Dan. January 26, 2020. Playbill. en. 2020-01-26.
46. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-nominees-list 2021 Nominations List
47. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list 2022 Nominations List
48. https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2023-winners-see-the-full-list-here/ Grammys 2023 Winners: See the Full List Here|Pitchfork
49. Web site: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List GRAMMY.com . 2023-11-11 . www.grammy.com.