THE COLOR PURPLE Wins Best Musical Theater Album GRAMMY Award

Broadway Records' cast recording of THE COLOR PURPLE has won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks, and Jennifer Hudson are the principal soloists on the album produced by Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders and Jhett Tolentino. Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell and Allee Willis are composers/lyricists.

Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel and the Warner Bros. / Amblin Entertainment motion picture, The Color Purple is an unforgettable story of enduring love and triumph over adversity. With a fresh, joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, this stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie, as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life.

John Doyle's production of The Color Purple opened to rapturous reviews on December 10, 2015. The production went on to receive 2016 TONY AWARDS for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Cynthia Erivo). The musical also received Tony nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Danielle Brooks), and Best Direction of a Musical (John Doyle). The Color Purple also received the 2016 Drama League Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.

Reflecting a diverse blend of talented music makers, this year's nominees were selected from more than 22,000 submissions entered. As the only peer-based music award, the GRAMMY Awards are voted on by The Academy's membership body of creators across all disciplines of music, including recording artists, songwriters, producers and engineers. Final-round GRAMMY ballots was mailed Dec. 14. THE 59TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be broadcast live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/5:00-8:30 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network. James Corden, the Emmy- and Tony Award-winning multi-faceted host of CBS' "The Late Late Show With James Corden," will serve as host.

About The Recording Academy: Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Recording Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, like "Recording Academy / GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The Recording Academy's social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.