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, 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 nominations in the category, with 25, while Sondheim and Shepard are tied for the record for most wins, with six. Tommy Krasker holds the record for most nominations without a win, with twelve. Micki Grant became the first African-American woman to win this award for Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope. To date, two-time recipient Phillipa Soo is the only woman to win more than one award .
Among shows, cast recordings from Gypsy have been nominated five times and cast recordings of West Side Story, Into the Woods, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street have been nominated four times, 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 Hell's Kitchen'', which won at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025.

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 standard which is as follows: "For albums containing greater than 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principal vocalist, and the album producer of 50% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist and composer 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 principal vocalists can be awarded, in addition to the producer/s and lyricists/composers. The maximum number of eligible principal vocalist was increased to six beginning at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
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
In 1960 it was awarded as Best Broadway Show Album
In 1961 it was awarded as Best Show Album
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.
Winners and nominees

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

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

5 nominations

Gypsy

4 nominations

West Side Story
Into the Woods
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

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
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

2 nominations:

Ain't Misbehavin'
Assassins
Carousel
Cabaret
Cats
A Chorus Line
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Company
Crazy for You
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
Flower Drum Song
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
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
Merrily We Roll Along
Nine
Oklahoma!
Pacific Overtures
Promises, Promises
Ragtime
South Pacific
Sweet Charity
The Wiz
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
Tom Kitt
David Lai
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

25 nominations

Thomas Z. Shepard

17 nominations

Jay David Saks

16 nominations

Stephen Sondheim

12 nominations

Tommy Krasker

10 nominations

David Lai

9 nominations

Andrew Lloyd Webber
Cy Coleman
Hugh Fordin

8 nominations

Frank Filipetti
Kurt Deutsch
Mike Berniker
Steven Epstein

7 nominations

David Caddick
John Kander
Phil Ramone
Robert Sher

6 nominations

Alan Menken
Jerry Bock
Joel W. Moss
Fred Ebb
Richard Rodgers
Sheldon Harnick
Stephen Schwartz