An OU alum’s concept album, “The Dust Bowl Radio Hour,” is campaigning for a 2027 Grammy Awards best musical theater album nomination.
The concept album for the Oklahoma-centered musical about a young boy looking for his mother in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl was released April 6.
The “For Your Consideration” campaign is not a nomination. Sean McGee, co-creator of the concept album, said the project completed the initial submission process and appeared on the first-round Grammy ballot after eligibility and category placement were reviewed. The campaign puts the independently developed Oklahoma musical in consideration alongside major Broadway productions.
McGee said the Grammy consideration came as a surprise. He received an email from a Recording Academy task force member whose role includes identifying musicals for the awards process and was invited to submit the album for consideration.
“We made it on that list, …” McGee said. “We're basically up against giant, big Broadway shows. So it's pretty crazy to be on the same sort of voting as some of these artists you've looked up to.”
The project is a part of the first-round voting process, which determines the nominees for the 2027 Grammy Awards. The “For Your Consideration” designation means the album is being presented to Recording Academy voters for consideration to be a nominee.
According to McGee, the musical is continuing to pave its path to its Broadway debut.
“Since (the album’s release), we have had a New York concert that was sold out. We had a concert in Tulsa that was basically a sellout as well. … So quite a bit has happened,” McGee said.
The New York performance featured most of the original studio cast, while the Tulsa performance featured predominantly Oklahoma-based performers, including some of the members of the ensemble from the musical “Oklahoma!” and “The Dust Bowl Radio Hour” composer and orchestrator, Kasey Dillon Yeargain.
Since then, the musical has been developing a team, hiring Richard J. Hinds, associate choreographer of “Elf” in the West End and associate director of “Newsies!” on Broadway.
The Grammy consideration marks another development for a project that began with a desire to tell a distinctly Oklahoman story.
In April, McGee told the Daily he wanted to explore the stories of the people who stayed in Oklahoma rather than focusing solely on those who left during the Dust Bowl. That commitment remains central to the production as it reaches audiences outside the state.
“We're very focused on keeping Oklahoma central to the story and central to the people working on the show, as well as in the mind of who we're doing it for,” McGee said.
“Seeing it in front of multiple new audiences for the first time has been really cool, and to see how it is actually landing with people, and people receive it really well,” McGee said.
The response has been encouraging in New York, where McGee said audiences embraced the show's bluegrass and country influences, as well as in Tulsa, where the production received a warm reception from the local community.
The creators will learn whether “The Dust Bowl Radio Hour” advances to official nominee status when the 2027 nominees are announced at 6:45 a.m. Nov. 16. The livestream will air on the Grammy website.
“We're really excited to bring it to the stage, and we can't wait for that day,” McGee said.
This story was edited by Madisson Cameron. Brooks Davis and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
