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 2025, the Princess Grace Foundation is proud to recognize 18 Princess Grace Award winners and 12 Honoraria recipients. This extraordinary group of artists join our community of over 900 Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria.
STATUE AWARD
THEATER
Nominated by: California Institute of the Arts, School of Theater
John Gore Theater Honor
I am a director, writer and filmmaker; who ministers transformative experiences through multidisciplinary bodies of work.
Nominated by: The Denyce Graves Foundation
Grace Le Vine Theater Honor
I am an interdisciplinary artist and creator reimagining and interpreting stories across theater, opera, and performance art.
Nominated by: INTAR Theatre
Robert and Gloria Hausman Theater Honor
I am sound designer and composer for theater; I make art from the heart.
Nominated by: Target Margin Theater
I am a musician, composer-lyricist, music director, actor, and teaching artist working primarily in theater.
Nominated by: Jesús I. Valles (Theater 2023)
Gant Gaither Theater Honor
I am an actor, writer and journalist, who works primarily in theater.
THEATER HONORARIA
Nominated by: Noor Theatre
I am a costume designer, character artist, and illustrator who works in theater and film.
Nominated by: The Tank
I am an actor, writer, rapper, and producer, who work primarily in theater and film.
PLAYWRITING FELLOWSHIP
New Dramatists
Playwriting Fellowship
I am a playwright obsessed with monsters, myths, and wildness.
DANCE PERFORMANCE
Nominated by: American Ballet Theatre
Chris Hellman Dance Honor
I am a dancer, who mainly performs ballet and contemporary.
Nominated by: Kyle Abraham, Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography 2010)
I am a versatile dancer with extensive training in both commercial and concert dance techniques, bringing technical precision and artistic expression to audiences across traditional theater venues and cinematographic sound stages.
DANCE PERFORMANCE HONORARIA
Nominated by: Charlotte Ballet
I am an intuition-based dancer with a background in classical and contemporary dance.
Nominated by: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
I am an artist, dancer, choreographer, and educator who works for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and takes part in the Chicago and New York dance communities.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Nominated by: Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography 2023)
I am a choreographer, performer, and director working primarily in dance-theatre and contemporary dance.
Nominated by: The Joffrey Ballet
I am a choreographer, working mostly in concert dance.
Nominated by: Mark Caserta, Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography 2023)
I am an interdisciplinary performance artist, director, choregrapher, and sound artist that works at the intersections of theater, film, and dance performance.
CHOREOGRAPHY HONORARIA
Nominated by: Visceral Dance Chicago
I’m a choreographer and director who creates works for dance companies, museums, films, immersive experiences, brands, and live theater.
Nominated by: Danspace Project
I am a dance and theater artist creating performances that explore the cultural and personal memories and interiority of Black femmes and queer folks.
FILM & ANIMATION
Nominated by: Caitlin Craggs, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2008)
Stephen Hillenburg Animation Honor
I am a multidisciplinary filmmaker and animator who uses 2D animation and clay painting to examine gender, reclaim autonomy, and challenge cultural norms through emotionally-driven storytelling.
Nominated by: Wendy Levy, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 1994)
John H. Johnson Film Honor
I am a writer and director committed to exploring the emotional architecture of human experience through cinematic form.
Nominated by: Rebecca Baron, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 1996)
Cary Grant Film Honor
I am a filmmaker and writer who works across non-fiction, fiction, and experimental modes.
Nominated by: Mitch McCabe, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2000)
Sir Roger Moore Film Honor
I am a director and writer who works primarily in film.
Nominated by: Iman Zawahry, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2008)
I am a writer-director who primarily works in film.
FILM HONORARIA
Nominated by: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
I am an artist and filmmaker working in experimental and observational forms.
Nominated by: California Institute of the Arts, School of Film/Video
I am an animator and storyteller, bringing new life to folktales and myths through brightly colored and highly textured art.
Nominated by: Jahmil Eady, Princess Grace Award winner (Film 2022)
I am a Mexican-American writer and director working primarily in narrative and documentary film.
Nominated by: New Orleans Film Society
I am a filmmaker whose creative work spans directing, producing, and casting, rooted in cross-cultural Indigenous experiences.
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 2025, 7 artists will receive Special Project grants.
SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS
Established in 2025 in partnership with MAP Fund, the Princess Grace Artist Fellowship provides 4 Fellows with a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant, paired with one–on–one coaching and participation in a peer–based virtual retreat through MAP Fund’s Scaffolding for Practicing Artists (SPA) program.
PRINCESS GRACE ARTIST FELLOWS
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
Gulse Polat
Musical Theater
Alana Rock
Costume Design
Nicholas Santes King
Acting
Abber Siddiqui
Musical Theater
Kaylah Spaulding
Acting
Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients
Year 1
Selected in 2025, these students are in the first year of their four-year scholarship.
Aaron Ballentine
Musical Theater
Alyssa Dorsey
Musical Theater
Jordin Gayle
Acting
Lyric Patino
Acting
Roger Wang
Musical Theater
Year 2
Selected in 2024, these students are now in the second year of their four-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 3
Selected in 2023, these students are now in the third year of their four-year scholarship.
Zehra Hassan
Sound Design
Zari McIntosh
Acting
Zalah Vallien
Musical Theater
Isis Washington
Makeup Design
Year 4
Selected in 2022, these students are now in the final year of their four-year scholarship.
Adam Flores
Acting
Daiara Garcia
Costume Design
J’kyil Poole
Acting
Nicholas Wilkinson
Musical Theater
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 2025, applicants to the Princess Grace Awards self-identified a primary discipline and secondary discipline(s) to be evaluated in.
2025 Princess Grace Awards Panelists
Theater
Ken-Matt Martin, Chair
Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony
Destiny Lilly
Michael Lluberes
David Mendizabal*
Jared Mezzocchi*
Jonathan Norton
Ericka Ratcliff
Kimberly Senior
Dance & Choreography
Heléne Alexopoulos Warrick, Chair
Anonymous
Raja Feather Kelly*
Jodie Gates
Rashaun Mitchell*
Kameron Saunders*
Eduardo Vilaro
Robyn Mineko Williams*
Film
Abby Sun, Chair
Jessica Bardsley*
Edo Choi
Marie Therese Guirgis
Andrew MacLean*
Kayla Myers
Heidi Saman*
Ekrem Serdar
Avril Speaks
John Summerson*
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
Nigel Campbell*
Marjani Forte Saunders*
Dessane Lopez Cassell
Sarah Rasmussen*
David Riker*
Darron West*
Princess Grace Artist Fellowship
Linda Blackaby
Terese Capucilli*
Woo J. Cho
Michael John Garcés*
*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 by Alexander Diaz of William Okajima (Dance 2025)