The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco, (née Grace Kelly) and elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants.
Her commitment to advance the arts in the United States is sustained by the Princess Grace Awards which supports and elevates extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants; and nurtures and supports Princess Grace Award winners throughout their careers.
In 2024, the Princess Grace Foundation is proud to recognize 18 Princess Grace Award winners and 11 Honoraria recipients. This extraordinary group of artists join our community of over 900 Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria.
STATUE AWARD
THEATER
Nominated by: Zoe Scofield, Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography 2011)
Gant Gaither Theater Honor
I am a writer, performer, and composer working primarily in theater.
Nominated by: Double Edge Theatre
Robert and Gloria Hausman Theater Honor
I am a theater maker who works primarily as a performer, director, and facilitator.
Nominated by: David Mendizábal, Princess Grace Award winner (Theater 2021)
John Gore Theater Honor
I am a music theater writer and performer, crafting the roles I craved growing up as a trans afro-latina.
Nominated by: Harlem Stage
Grace Le Vine Theater Honor
I am an interdisciplinary artist who works in music, theater, film, word and movement.
THEATER HONORARIA
Nominated by: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
I am a designer, fabricator, and creator who works primarily in theater and film.
Nominated by: Links Hall
I am a Taiwanese movement artist, puppeteer, and physical theater creator.
Nominated by: National Black Theatre
I am a director, choreographer, designer (light/video), and actor working primarily in theater.
Nominated by: The Cell Theatre
I am a writer, director, composer, performer and ritualist who works in hybrid and interdisciplinary forms.
PLAYWRITING FELLOWSHIP
New Dramatists
Playwriting Fellowship
I am a playwright.
DANCE PERFORMANCE
Nominated by: Houston Ballet
I am a soloist at the Houston Ballet and this is my third season with the company.
Nominated by: Kyle Abraham, Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography 2010)
I am a multifaceted dance artist committed to the expression of movement through contemporary dance, with a lens of patience and gratitude.
Nominated by: Harlem Stage
I am a kathak performing artist, choreographer, and educator.
DANCE PERFORMANCE HONORARIA
Nominated by: Elisa Clark, Princess Grace Award winner (Dance 2008)
I am an artist who works primarily in movement and dance.
Nominated by: Owen/Cox Dance Group
I am a performance artist adept in dance, vocal expression, and theatrical/film performance.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Nominated by: Chanel DaSilva, Princess Grace Award winner (Dance 2011)
I am a dancer and choreographer, who creates contemporary dances for my project based company and other dance companies globally.
Nominated by: Works & Process at the Guggenheim
I am a tap and percussive dancer, who works at the intersection of dance and movement.
FILM & ANIMATION
Nominated by: Pepi Ginsberg, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2021)
Wendy Ferguson Film Honor
I am a filmmaker who works across fiction and non-fiction forms.
Nominated by: University of Texas at Austin
John H. Johnson Film Honor
I am a writer, director, and producer of narrative and documentary films and their intersection.
Nominated by: New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Sir Roger Moore Film Honor
I am a film writer, director, and producer.
Nominated by: California Institute of the Arts
Stephen Hillenburg Animation Honor
I am an animator, director, and educator who focuses on hand drawn animation and experimental narrative.
Nominated by: Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2014)
Lady Monika Bacardi Film Honor
I am a writer, director, producer and visual artist working primarily in film, video, photography, and installation.
Nominated by: Zahida Pirani, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2021)
Cary Grant Film Honor
I am a Japanese/American filmmaker and I write, direct, and edit.
FILM HONORARIA
Nominated by: Firelight Media
I am a director, producer, editor and writer who works primarily in film.
Nominated by: Binghamton University
I am a filmmaker working primarily in non-fiction and experimental forms, drawn to collective stories and unexpected ways of portraying experienced truth.
Nominated by: Mike Gibisser, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2010)
I am a filmmaker who works in experimental non-fiction.
Nominated by: kelechi agwuncha, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2022)
I am a video artist and filmmaker.
The Princess Grace Foundation continues to support and nurture our Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria throughout their artistic journey, offering exclusive grants to Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria for uniquely significant projects that advance their artistic development. In 2024, 11 artists will receive Special Project grants.
SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS
GRACE KELLY SCHOLARSHIPS
The Grace Kelly Scholarship for Thespian Excellence identifies and nurtures high school theatre-makers and performers. In partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation, Grace Kelly Scholarships provide access to the necessary resources and encouragement that meaningfully impacts young artists’ ability to succeed on their paths to becoming successful professional artists.
There are 2 types of Grace Kelly scholarships:
- Grace Kelly Training Scholarships (Grades 9-11): Recipients selected annually will receive a one-time award of $1,000 to encourage ongoing pursuit of artistic education.
- Grace Kelly Scholarships: Recipients selected annually will receive a total of $6,000: $1,000/year 4-year scholarship to attend a college, conservatory, or pre-professional training program, a $1,000 award upon completion plus a $1,000 internship stipend. Winners will be paired with a professional mentor chosen by the Princess Grace Foundation from its Princess Grace Award winners.
Grace Kelly Training Scholarship recipients
Isabelle Bonifant
Musical Theater
Ryan Ingram
Acting
JD Lawrence
Musical Theater
London Raftery
Musical Theater
Katie Tillery
Musical Theater
Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients
Year 1
Year 1 Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients were selected in 2024, and this is Year 1 of their 4 year scholarship.
Reagan Bliss
Set Design
Kenna Edwards
Acting
Emily Hacking
Costume Design
Megan Janger
Makeup and Wig Design
Elizabeth Keller
Directing
Liam Redford
Musical Theater
Year 2
Year 2 Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients were selected in 2023, and this is Year 2 of their 4 year scholarship.
Zehra Hassan
Sound Design
Zari McIntosh
Acting
Zalah Vallien
Musical Theater
Isis Washington
Makeup Design
Year 3
Year 3 Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients were selected in 2022, and this is Year 3 of their 4 year scholarship.
Adam Flores
Acting
Daiara Garcia
Costume Design
J’kyil Poole
Acting
Nicholas Wilkinson
Musical Theater
Year 4
Year 4 Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients were selected in 2021, and this is Year 4 of their 4 year scholarship.
Margaret Hammond
Costume Design
Natalie Lawton
Stage Management
Grace Sorenson
Musical Theater
Pradanya Subramanyan
Stage Management
Trysten Williams
Acting
Selection Process
SELECTION PROCESS
Princess Grace Award winners and honoraria are selected annually by experts in theater, dance and film. Each panelist brings their own experience and aesthetic to the table, and decisions are made by panel consensus. Applicants undergo 2 stages of review.
In 2024, applicants to the Princess Grace Awards self-identified a primary discipline and secondary discipline(s) to be evaluated in.
2024 Princess Grace Awards Panelists
Theater
Michael John Garces*, Chair
Myung Hee Cho
Eisa Davis
Ty Defoe
Sarita Fellows
Bruce A. Lemon, Jr.*
Seret Scott
Kimberly Senior
Victoria Weinberg
Annie Yee
Dance & Choreography
Nigel Campbell*, Chair
Stella Abrera
Elisa Clark*
Brinda Guha
Margaret Mullin*
Marjani Forté-Saunders*
Jermaine Spivey*
Heléne Alexopoulos Warrick
Riley Watts*
Film
Billy Luther, Chair
Miriam Bale
Dessane Lopez Cassell
La Frances Hui
Byron Hurt
Irene Kotlarz
Shrihari Sathe
Heidi Saman*
Paul Seetachitt*
Avril Z. Speaks
Chris Wedge
Iman Zawahry*
Advancement grants selected by panelists which include members of the Arts Advisory Council (AAC). Panelists are experts, practitioners and leaders in theater, dance and film. Each bring their own experience, expertise and aesthetic, and decisions are made by consensus in a multidisciplinary panel.
Special Project
Linda Blackaby
Shelby T. Jiggetts-Tivony
Andrew MacLean*
Rashaun Mitchell
Meredith Lynsey Schade
Eduardo Vilaro
*Previous Princess Grace Award winners
Grace Kelly Scholarships
Grace Kelly Scholarships are selected in partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation (EdTF) with representatives from both EdTF and the Princess Grace Foundation serving as panelists. Princess Grace Award winner Carly Hughes (Theater 2003) serves as lead panelist.
Cover photo courtesy of Alexis Kulani Woodard (Theater 2024)