Filipino-American music director and orchestrator Marco Paguia, a 2026 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album for Buena Vista Social Club, also won a Tony Award in 2025 for Best Orchestrations for the same production. – Photo courtesy of Marco Paguia / Instagram
LOS ANGELES — Filipino-American music director and orchestrator Marco Paguia won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album after the Broadway cast recording of Buena Vista Social Club was honored at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026.
The Recording Academy award recognizes excellence in the recording and production of musical theater albums and is presented to principal producers and key creative contributors. Paguia was among those credited for the album, marking his first Grammy win.
From Tony recognition to Grammy honors
The Grammy follows earlier top-tier recognition for the same production. In 2025, Buena Vista Social Club received the Tony Awards for Best Orchestrations, a category awarded directly to the orchestrator or orchestrators of a production. Paguia was among the named recipients, making him a Tony Award winner prior to the Grammy.
The dual honors underscore the production’s musical impact both on stage and in recorded form, a distinction achieved by relatively few contemporary Broadway works.
Musical leadership behind the production
Paguia served as music director and orchestrator for Buena Vista Social Club, a Broadway musical inspired by the legacy of the iconic Cuban ensemble. His work involved translating Afro-Cuban musical traditions for a Broadway context while maintaining stylistic authenticity, ensemble balance, and historical integrity.
Critical coverage of the production consistently highlighted its musical architecture and orchestration as central to its success, both in live performance and in the cast recording that ultimately earned Grammy recognition.
Career in American musical theater
Based in New York, Paguia has built a career as a music director, arranger, orchestrator, and pianist across Broadway productions, national tours, and regional theater. His professional credits place him among a growing number of Filipino-American artists gaining visibility and recognition within major U.S. performing arts institutions.
With both a Tony and a Grammy, Paguia joins a small cohort of theater professionals whose work has been honored at the highest levels of American stage and recording arts.
A collective achievement
The Best Musical Theater Album Grammy reflects the collaborative nature of musical theater, recognizing producers, principal vocalists, and music creators whose work brings a stage production into recorded form. While individual contributors are named under eligibility rules, the award represents the collective achievement of the Buena Vista Social Club creative team.
Representation and recognition
Paguia’s awards add to the expanding presence of Filipino-American talent in American musical theater, particularly in music leadership roles that have historically received limited visibility.
