Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen, inspired by her own teenage years and powered by her music, has won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The album, produced by Keys alongside Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt, was released in June and features the original Broadway cast, including Maleah Joi Moon and Kecia Lewis—both of whom earned Tony Awards for their performances—along with Shoshana Bean and Brandon Victor Dixon.
For Keys, this victory adds to her already impressive collection of 16 Grammy Awards. On the same night, she was also honored with the prestigious Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, presented by the Black Music Collective. Serving as both the composer and lyricist, Keys poured her personal and artistic essence into the Hell’s Kitchen album, making it a deeply meaningful project.
The musical premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theater before making its Broadway debut last spring. It continues to play at the Shubert Theatre, despite a dip in ticket sales last month, and a North American tour is set to begin in October at Playhouse Square in Cleveland.
At its core, Hell’s Kitchen tells the story of 17-year-old Ali, a young girl raised by her single mother in an apartment complex designed for artists. Ali’s journey—navigating romance and discovering her musical identity—closely mirrors Keys’ own experiences growing up.
This year’s Grammy nominees for Best Musical Theater Album included productions that made a significant impact on Broadway during the 2023-24 season. Competing alongside Hell’s Kitchen were:
• Merrily We Roll Along, a revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 musical about the unraveling of a lifelong friendship.
• The Notebook, an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ beloved 1996 novel.
• The Outsiders, a Tony-winning musical based on S.E. Hinton’s classic 1967 novel about rival teenage gangs in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Suffs, Shaina Taub’s powerful portrayal of the American women’s suffrage movement.
• The Wiz, a revival of the 1975 musical inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
While The Outsiders won the Tony Award for Best New Musical and Merrily We Roll Along took home Best Musical Revival, only Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders remain on Broadway.
With this Grammy win, Hell’s Kitchen solidifies its place as a standout production, blending personal storytelling with Alicia Keys’ unmistakable musical brilliance.
