ADJUDICATORS & PANELISTS
The Arts Advisory Board (AAB) is a voluntary board whose role is to oversee the Princess Grace Awards program. Members are experts, practitioners and leaders in their artistic fields; at the Princess Grace Foundation they work alongside the PGF-USA staff develop funding that is responsive to the needs of the artistic community. In addition AAB members participate as panelists for the Advancement grants to Award winners, recommend Adjudicators and Panelists for the Princess Grace Awards and are ambassadors of the Princess Grace Foundation in the artistic community.
Arts Advisory Board members are vital members of the Princess Grace Foundation community and the Princess Grace Foundation-USA thanks each member for their commitment to the success of the Princess Grace Awards and our community of extraordinary artists.
Melia Bensussen, Arts Advisory Board Chair
Linda Blackaby
Terese Capucilli
Woo Jung Cho
Suzanne Farrell
Renée Fleming
Eduardo Garcia (AAB Chair Emeritus)
Kent Gash
Billy Luther
Georgiana Pickett
Gary Pudney
Ted Rawlins
Heléne Alexopoulos Warrick
Arts Advisory Board Emeritus
William Greaves, Chair of Film
Barbara Horgan, AAB Chair Emeritus
Bonnie Oda Homsey, Chair of Dance
John Mazzola, AAB Chair
Adjudicators and Panelists
Award winners are selected annually by experts in theater, dance and film. Applicants are assessed in 3 review stages consisting of both online and in person panel reviews by Adjudicators and Panelists. Each Adjudicator and Panelist brings their own experience and aesthetic to the table, however decisions are made by panel consensus.
About Adjudicators
Adjudicators serve a 3-year term and are nominated by the Arts Advisory Board, Director of Programs and CEO. Princess Grace Award Adjudicators participate and review applications in all stages of the review process. They are experts within specific form(s) but are also equipped to evaluate applicants based on the Princess Grace Foundation’s mission and values.
About Panelists
Princess Grace Award Adjudicators are joined by additional panelists representing specific areas of expertise within the disciplines of theater, dance, choreography, film, and animation. Panelists review applications within their specific disciplines for Rounds 1 and 2a. These additional panelists serve annually.
History of the Arts Advisory Board
His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco established the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 1982 to honor the legacy of His wife, Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco. H.S.H. Prince Rainier and Founding Chairman Robert J. Hausman created the Arts Advisory Board, a voluntary board comprised of experts, practitioners and leaders in the fields of theater, dance and film to build the Awards program, working alongside the Foundation staff and Board of Trustees.
Prior to 2021, the Princess Grace Foundation Arts Advisory Board included Discipline Chairs for each the disciplines supported by the Princess Grace Awards – theater, dance, and film. The Chairs built diverse adjudication panels of highly knowledgeable, credentialed, nationally recognized peers in the fields who are committed to the future of the performing arts, and served as Panelists for the Advancement grants for Award winners. Today, Chairs are integrated into the Arts Advisory Board along with additional experts in theater, dance and film.
Former Discipline Chairs
| Theater Eduardo Garcia Ted Rawlins | Dance Barbara Horgan Bonnie Oda Horgan | Film William Greaves Linda Blackaby |
Theater, Dance, and Film Panels
Panels prior to 2021, included the following experts and leaders in their artistic fields, and we thank them for their service.
| THEATER | Lisa Allen Bob Alwine Christopher Ashley Trudi Biggs McCanna Debbie Bisno Rick Boynton Kristin Caskey | Linda Chapman Amy Corcoran Mary de Liagre Barry Edelstein David Esbjornson Tim Evans Dan Fields | Kent Gash Lisa Guzman Robert Hunt Lou Jacob Ruth Maleczech Meredith Lynsey Scade Seret Scott | Eric Simonson Rachel Sussman Paul Tazewell Darron L West Michael Wilson Stephanie Ybarra Evan Yionoulis |
| DANCE | Carolyn Adams Robert Battle Neal Beasley Trisha Brown Carmen de Lavallade Suzanne Farrell Gina Gibney Barbara Horgan | Judith Jamison Virginia Johnson Roy Kaiser Edwaard Liang Lar Lubovitch Susan Marshall Carla Maxwell | Amanda McKerrow Rashaun Mitchell Carla Peterson Lawrence Rhodes Ethan Stiefel Pam Tanowitz Margaret Tracey | Eduardo Vilaro Edward Villella Sylvia Waters Heather Watts Martin Wechsler Damian Woetzel Jawole Willa Jo Zoller |
| FILM | Mary Lea Bandy Rose Bond Ilya Chaiken Amalia Cordova Woo Jung Cho Vanessa Erazo Kathy Geritz Jacqueline Gill | Tony Gittens Bill Greaves Ed Halter John Hanhardt Larry Kardish Billy Luther Andrew MacLean | Scott MacDonald Marian Masone Greg Mottola Brian O’Doherty Tony Pemberton David Riker David Schwartz | William Sloan Musa Syeed Martin Syjuco Monika Wagenberg Elizabeth Weatherford Chi hui Yang |