The Decca Broadway cast recording of the Wicked was named Best Musical Show Album at the Grammy Awards ceremony on February 13. The award was presented to Broadway favorite Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the score to the show as well as produced the bestselling album.
Wickedbeat out recordings of Assassins PS Classics, Avenue Q RCA Victor, The Boy from Oz Decca Broadway and Wonderful Town DRG Records for the prize. The win was especially sweet for Schwartz, who saw his popular musical trumped by Avenue Q in many categories including Best Musical and Best Score at the 2004 Tony Awards.
In his review of the album, which was released on December 16, 2003, Ken Mandelbaum wrote: "Unlike Avenue Q, The Boy from Oz, Never Gonna Dance or Taboo, Wicked possesses an all-new, full-bodied, story-based, stylistically traditional Broadway score, all of which makes the CD quite playable. Schwartz's music does improve with repeat hearings. And with all of its shortcomings, Wicked's score is more enjoyable than it has a right to be. Let's call it a guilty pleasure." The cast recording features original stars Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Norbert Leo Butz, Carole Shelley, Michelle Federer, Christopher Fitzgerald and William Youmans.
The Grammy Awards were presented at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and on CBS.
