'Spring Awakening' Wins Best Musical Album; Grammy Awards Held Feb.10

The Original Broadway Cast album of Spring Awakening won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album during the pre-televised 50th Annual Grammy Awards today, Sunday February 10. The album nomination was listed as featuring the talent of Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & others. The award is credited to composer Duncan Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater, and Decca Broadway. Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book (Slater), Best Original Score (Sater & Sheik) and Best Orchestrations. 

Click here to read BroadwayWorld.com CD critic Naomi Plume's review of the Spring Awakening CD, which she predicted for the Grammy win back in December 2007.

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards were broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10, 2008 on CBS-TV at 8PM (Eastern/Pacific). For a complete list of nominations and more information visit www.grammy.com. 

Guests scheduled to perform during the live telecast include Beyoncé, Andrea Bocelli, Eldar, Feist, Fergie, John Fogerty, Foo Fighters, Aretha Franklin (MusiCares Honoree 2008 Person of the Year), Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Alicia Keys, Dave Koz, Lang Lang, John Legend, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brad Paisely, Little Richard, Rihanna, Keely Smith, Tina Turner, Carrie Underwood and the casts of Across The Universe and Cirque du Soleil's The Beatles Love (winner for Surround Sound Album).

Other Nominees for Best Musical Show Album included:

A Chorus Line
2006 New Cast Recording With Various Artists
David Caddick, producer
Marvin Hamlisch, composer; Edward Kleban, lyricist
Masterworks Broadway 

Company
2006 Cast Recording With Raúl Esparza & Others
Tommy Krasker, producer
Stephen Sondheim, composer/lyricist
Nonesuch Records/PS Classics 

Grey Gardens
Original Broadway Cast With Christine Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson & Others
Steven Epstein, producer
Scott Frankel, composer; Michael Korie, lyricist
PS Classics

West Side Story
Vittorio Grigolo, Hayley Westenra, Connie Fisher & Others
Nick Patrick, producer
Leonard Bernstein, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist
Decca Broadway

Other Theatre-Related Winners/Nominees:

Winner: "Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls by Henry Krieger and Siedah Garret for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, TV or Other Visual Media

Winner: Legendary Broadway actor Jim Dale won the prize for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, for his countless character-voices in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Also nominated in the category were Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci in the recording of The One and Only Shrek.

Winner: Chaka Khan (currently starring in The Color Purple) took home Best R&B Album for "Funk This" and also shared a prize with Mary J. Blige for the song "Disrespectful" as Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

Nominees for Best Compilation Sound Track Albums for Motion Pictures, TV and Other Visual Media included Across The Universe, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Love (winner) and Once.  Bette Midler, Queen Latifah and Barbra Streisand were nominees in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category (awarded to Michael Bublé).

Other nominees included Fantasia (The Color Purple, "American Idol") for Best R&B Song ("When I See You") and her self-titled album nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album.  Alan Alda was nominated in a Best Spoken World Album category for Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself.  Harry Connick Jr. was nominated for Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Instrumental Composition for "Ash Wednesday." Reba McEntire (with famed "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson) were nominated for their duet "Because of You" as Best Country Collaboration.