LOS ANGELES — Filipino American musician Marco Paguia won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album on Sunday as a producer of “Buena Vista Social Club” during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena.
Paguia shared the award with fellow producers Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, along with the original Broadway cast recording of the musical.
The Grammy win adds to Paguia’s previous recognition at the 2025 Tony Awards, where he became the first Filipino and Asian to win Best Orchestrations and also received a special Tony as part of the “Buena Vista Social Club” band.
Paguia has worked in musical theater for more than two decades, beginning as a dance rehearsal pianist before taking on roles in regional theater productions and touring shows. He later served as music director for productions including “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” “Girl From the North Country,” “Peter and the Starcatcher,” “Goddess,” and “Everyday Rapture,” and handled music supervision and orchestrations for “Unknown Soldier.”
In 2024, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards recognized his orchestrations for an earlier staging of “Buena Vista Social Club” at the Atlantic Theater.
Paguia, who holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Northwestern University, was born in the United States to Filipino immigrants Victor and Ruby Paguia and grew up in Illinois. He said his early exposure to Broadway productions influenced his interest in musical theater.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized achievements across the music industry, including musical theater recordings released during the eligibility period.
