THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA ANNOUNCES THE 

2021 PRINCESS GRACE AWARD WINNERS

NEW YORK, NY – (August 4, 2021) The Princess Grace Foundation is proud to announce the 2021 Princess Grace Award winners, along with the recipients of the Princess Grace Foundation’s Advancement grants and its first class of Grace Kelly Scholarship recipients. This year, the Foundation welcomes 18 Princess Grace Award winners and 12 Honoraria recipients into the Princess Grace Awards community.  

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA, founded in memory of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, neé Grace Kelly, identifies extraordinary emerging artists working in theater, dance and film, and nurtures their growth throughout their careers. Princess Grace Award winners receive a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant paid directly to the artists. This year’s group of impressive applicants resulted in the recognition of an additional 12 artists who will receive an Honoraria. Honoraria recipients receive a $1,000 unrestricted cash grant. The new class of Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria join the community of over 800 Princess Grace Award alumni where they are provided additional exclusive grant opportunities, career development and networking.   In 2021, applicants to the Princess Grace Awards self-identified primary and secondary discipline(s) to be evaluated and were reviewed by panelists representing all disciplines identified by the applicants.  

Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA shared, “It is an honor to welcome and celebrate the 2021 Princess Grace Award winners, who represent some of the nation’s most outstanding emerging performing artists. Each year, the Princess Grace Foundation convenes panelists to serve for the Princess Grace Awards selection process. For nearly 40 years, we have been proud to work with some of the most talented and forward-thinking professionals and luminaries to help us identify promising emerging talent. Thanks to these dedicated panelists, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing many of our Princess Grace Award winners go on to have prosperous and distinguished careers. We are truly delighted to welcome this new class of extraordinary artists and we will look forward to supporting them throughout their artistic journeys.” 

This year’s Princess Grace Award winners are:   

For Theater and Playwriting: 

• nicHidouglas, Nominated by Ars Nova, Gant Gaither Theater Honor 
• CheeyangNg, Nominated by Amas Musical Theatre, John Gore Theater Award 
• Steph Paul, Nominated by Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Ronand Vicki Sims Theater Honor 
• Sara Porkolab, Nominated by American Repertory Theater, Robertand Gloria Hausman Theater Honor 
• Justen Ross, Nominated by The Theatre School at DePaul University, Grace Le Vine Theater Honor
• Lucas Baisch, Playwriting Fellowship in partnership with New Dramatists

Theater Honoraria: 

• Isabella Star LaBlanc, Nominated by McCarter Theatre Center
• David Mendizábal, Nominated by Long Wharf Theatre
• Kameron Neal, Nominated by HERE Arts Center
• Derrick Skye, Nominated by James Darrah
• Fallon Williams, Nominated by California Institute of the Arts

For Dance Performance and Choreography:  

• Khalia Campbell, Nominated by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Johnand Jenny Paulson Dance Honor 
• Ashton Edwards, Nominated by Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Martyn Ravenhill Dance Honor
• TushrikFredericks, Nominated by TRI314 Multidisciplinary Visual Performances, Chris Hellman Dance Honor 
• Ashley Kaylynn Green, Nominated by Whim W’Him, John and Barbara Lehman Dance Honor
• Johnnie Mercer, Nominated by Stephen Petronio Company
• Martha Nichols, Nominated by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Dance and Choreography Honoraria: 

• Alysia L. Johnson, Nominated by HubbardStreet Dance Chicago  
• Kennedy Targosz, Nominated by School of American Ballet
• Alice Gosti, Nominated by Centrum 
• Crystal Michelle Perkins, Nominated by South Chicago Dance Theater

For Film: 

• AbbesiAkhamie, Nominated by Jacob Burns Film Center, Cary Grant Film Honor 
• Danielle Deadwyler, Nominated by Synchronicity Theatre
• Joie Estrella Horwitz, Nominated by California Institute of the Arts, John H. Johnson Film Honor
• Zahida Pirani, Nominated by UCLA, Amyand Brian France Film Honor 
• NesaruTchaas, Nominated by Daniel Chein 
• EmYue, Nominated by California Institute of the Arts, Stephen Hillenberg Film Award 

Advancement Grants:  

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA maintains a long-term commitment to its Award winners, supporting and nurturing Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria throughout their artistic journey. Special Project and Works in Progress Residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center are grants available to past Princess Grace Awards and Honoraria recipients for uniquely significant projects that advance their artistic development.  This year’s winners are: 

Special Project Awards:  

• Kimberly Bautista
• Daniel Chein
• Tommie-Waheed Evans
• Hung Nguyen
• Tanya Orellana
• Daniela Repas

Works in Progress Residencies: 

• Julie Forrest Wyman
• Emilie Leriche

Grace Kelly Scholarships: 

New in 2021, the Princess Grace Foundation is proud to offer the Grace Kelly Scholarships. With a leadership gift from the Victory Foundation, Grace Kelly Scholarships 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. 

2021 Grace Kelly Scholarships: 

• Margaret Hammond
• Natalie Lawton
• Grace Sorenson
• Pradanya Subramanyan
• Trysten Williams

2021 Grace Kelly Training Scholarships: 

• Laila Carter
• Dane Lackey
• Caroline Lim
• Emma Stellmach
• Jacki Vellandi

The Princess Grace Foundation will also launch its first Princess Grace Awards Summit and Celebration from September 20^th-22^nd.  The virtual Summit will comprise a series of panels and conversations curated by the Foundation and previous Princess Grace winners to build meaningful conversations around artistry and practicalities of being a working artist and the opportunity for relationship building and networking across disciplines and years. The Summit will culminate in a celebration honoring the 2021 Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria recipients on September 23. 

ABOUT THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION – USA 

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, neé Grace Kelly. 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 through their careers. A 501(c)3 not-for-profit based in New York City, the Foundation was established in 1982 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to honor His wife, Princess Grace of Monaco and Her legacy. Since the Foundation’s inception, we have awarded over 800 recipients. Notable Princess Grace Award winners include: Emmy Award winner Cary Fukunaga, director of 007’s No Time to Die; Jon M. Chu director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Chinonye Chukwu, Tony Award winner director, Anna Shapiro; Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner playwright Tony Kushner; Golden Globe Award winner Oscar Isaac; and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre’s Gillian Murphy and Isabella Boylston and New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck, and choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown. 

For more information about the Princess Grace Awards program, please visit www.pgfusa.org 

Grants & Media Contact: Diana Kemppainen, Director of Programming – diana@pgfusa.org 212.317.1470 

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