The Princess Grace Awards - Theater is a grant from the Princess Grace Foundation that provides unrestricted cash awards to extraordinary early-career artists in theater, dance, and film. Established to uphold the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco, the foundation identifies and nurtures emerging artists through game-changing grants that support creative development and career advancement.

Awards are open to artists at the beginning of their careers who demonstrate exceptional artistic merit. The 2026 application cycle closed on February 2; information about the 2027 application will be available in autumn 2026. Past and current award recipients are recognized at the annual Princess Grace Awards Gala.

2026 Princess Grace Awards Application - Princess Grace Foundation-USA An organization dedicated to upholding Princess Grace of Monaco’s legacy and philanthropy. We support and elevate extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants.

2025 Award Winners & Honoraria Princess Grace Award Winners Prince Rainier III Awards We support and elevate extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants. Princess Grace Awards Gala Questions? Email info@pgfusa.

org Grace de Monaco is the world’s first luxury brand for good representing the passions & purpose of the iconic Princess. 100% of profits from the sale of Grace de Monaco products support the Princess Grace Foundation. Join our community of passionate and dedicated art professionals.

An organization dedicated to upholding Princess Grace of Monaco’s legacy and philanthropy. We support and elevate extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants. 2025 Award Winners & Honoraria Awards: Prince Rainier III Join us for signature events and unforgettable experiences around the globe.

The Princess Grace Awards offer an unrestricted cash grant to emerging artists in theater, dance and film. 2026 Princess Grace Awards The application cycle closed on February 2. Information about the 2027 application will be available in the autumn.

Identifying and Nurturing Extraordinary Emerging Artists in The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, (née 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 throughout their careers.

Values of the Princess Grace Foundation: The Princess Grace Foundation is interested in artists’ unique voices and trajectories and evaluates each artist through the lens of their individual journey.

The Princess Grace Foundation believes that extraordinary talent is found across diverse groups of artists and is committed to identifying and supporting diversity in all its forms: gender, race, sexuality, accessibility, geography, etc. The Princess Grace Foundation is committed to curating Selection Panels that reflect the diversity of the artistic landscapes considering form and geography as well as the diversity of artists, including gender, race, sexuality, accessibility, etc. in its selection of Panelists.

Please scroll down to learn about the 2026 Princess Grace Awards application. If you have specific questions, you may use the buttons to get you to a specific section directly. For additional questions, please email olivia (at) pgfusa.

org. 2026 Application Information Session January 9, 2026 at Noon ET Join us for a free Zoom information session for artists interested in learning more about the Princess Grace Awards application process and eligibility requirements. We’ll share an overview of the application and close with time for questions.

Pictured: Princess Grace Award winner Fatima Wardy (Film 2025) Applicants must be nominated in order to apply. In the application process, the nominated artist will begin the application and asked to fill out their nominator information, including an email. Once the email is completed, the nominator will be notified via email to submit their nomination.

Nomination can come from: Universities, colleges and non-profit professional training programs must meet the following criteria: Nominations should be on behalf of the entire department and come from the Dean/Chair of the School/College Professional training program or accredited university Universities/Colleges may only nominate 1 undergraduate artist and 1 graduate artist per category of theater, dance, choreography, film, and animation Should the University have separate colleges or schools with programs that contain eligible applicants, each college or school may nominate an applicant Non-profit training programs may only nominate 1 artist per year per category of theater, dance, choreography, film, and animation Non-profit theater companies, dance companies, media arts centers Non-profit theater companies, dance companies, and media arts centers must meet the following criteria: Nominating institutions must be arts related non-profits that support theater, dance or film artists Nominations should come from the Artistic Director or Executive Director.

Nominations from members of the Board of Trustees will not be accepted. Artistic Directors may not nominate themselves, nor may they be nominated by the Executive Director of their own institution.

Be in continuous operation as an independent 501(C) (3) company or have a fiscal sponsor Employ professional administrative staff Theater companies, dance companies and media arts centers may only nominate 1 artist per year per category of theater, dance, choreography, film, and animation Princess Grace Award winners and honoraria As of 2021, individual Princess Grace Award winners and honoraria are eligible to nominate.

Nominations from Award winners do not need to be within their discipline. However, Award winners should be able to speak authoritatively regarding the nominee’s artistic practice.

Princess Grace Award winners and honoraria may only nominate 1 artist per application cycle The Princess Grace Awards recognize both creative generators (including but not limited to theater directors, designers, choreographers, film directors, etc.) and performance-based creatives (including but not limited to actors, dancers, etc.). In the film discipline, we only accept applications from film directors.

We do not review applications from screenwriters or cinematographers. A Playwriting Fellowship* is offered through a partnership with New Dramatists. The Princess Grace Award is an unrestricted cash grant of $15,000 paid directly to the artist.

** Open to U.S. based artists currently living and working in the United States. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must have permanent work authorization from USCIS All applicants must be nominated by a non-profit university, organization, media arts center or previous Princess Grace Award winner. Self-nominations are not allowed.

An artist can only be nominated by 1 organization or individual in a given year. Applications are evaluated on the individual artist’s artistic merits Applicants self-identify the discipline(s) in which their work lives, and also self-identify in which discipline(s) they would like their work reviewed . Applicants self-identifying as multidisciplinary select a primary discipline and then any secondary disciplines.

Multidisciplinary artists: It is strongly advised for applicants that identify as multidisciplinary and would like to be reviewed in multiple disciplines ONLY select disciplines in which they have work samples that reflect those disciplines. i.e., if you are a director who works in theater and film, but you only have samples of your film work, you should not ask to be reviewed by the theater panel.

*The Playwriting Fellowship is administered by our partners, New Dramatists. **For information on how the grant is paid please visit our FAQ . Pictured: Princess Grace Award winner Tiler Peck (Dance 2004) The Princess Grace Foundation-USA offers a separate opportunity exclusively for playwrights, the Playwriting Fellowship in partnership with New Dramatists.

Playwrights should only apply through the Playwriting Fellowship program as the Princess Grace Awards panel does not review full scripts. The Playwriting Fellowship is administered by New Dramatists and is a separate application process that does not require a nomination. Applications are accepted March 2, and the application window will stay open until March 16 or until they receive 350 complete submissions, whichever comes first.

Multidisciplinary artists whose work includes playwriting cannot apply for both the Princess Grace Awards Playwriting Fellowship and the Princess Grace Award in the same year. Evaluation of Emerging and Extraordinary The Princess Grace Foundation defines “ emerging ” as artists who are at the early stage of their artistic practice.

It may include individuals still in school, or those who are early in their professional artistic trajectory. Applicants should present a sufficient body of work that demonstrates the promise of extraordinary while remaining in the early phase of their career development. Artists with a depth of experience in their field are not appropriate for this opportunity.

While the Foundation appreciates experienced artists exploring and expanding their artistic voice or expanding into new practices, we do not view these artists as emerging . Note on Choreography: The Foundation considers choreography a distinct practice from dance performance. Artists with extensive experience as performers may still be considered emerging choreographers if they are early in developing their choreographic work.

Please note that if the artist has received numerous awards, residencies, fellowships and/or has had numerous opportunities to present or exhibit their work especially on national/international stages and venues, the selection panel may deem the artist to have emerged.

Evaluation of extraordinary in application : In its consideration of the Princess Grace Foundation’s mission, the selection panel evaluates the promise and potential of the applicant to be extraordinary. In evaluating “extraordinary” the panel considers the following: Artistic intentionality, which may include commitment to applicant’s craft, impact in the field or innovation; and Demonstration of technique in artistic practice.

Applicants are not expected to already be extraordinary but demonstrate the promise of extraordinary. Pictured: Princess Grace Award winner Paul Tazewell (Theater 1993) The Princess Grace Awards is a 2-part application process. Artists are nominated and together with their nominator submit their nominator’s letter of recommendation, artist statement, CV, and a short work sample.

Invited artists are invited to continue in the application process by March 31. APPLY Round 2: Full Application Applicants invited to continue in the application process submit additional written material and work samples.

Pictured: Princess Grace Award winners Patrick Page (Theater 1988) as Hades in Hadestown , Oscar Isaac (Theater 2004) as Marc Spector in Marvel’s Moon Knight, and Moses Ingram (Theater 2018) as Inquisitor Reva in Disney’s Obi-Wan Round 1: Nomination & Artist Statement Deadline: February 2 (11:59 pm Pacific Time) Your application will be completed using our grants software, Submittable . You will need to make an account.

Your CV should include all relevant experience and include dates. Unlike when you apply for a job and select key pieces of your CV/resume to best market yourself for the opportunity, the selection panel wishes to see the entirety of your experience. 3.

Recommendation letter from Nominator Please tell us why you consider your nominee to be deserving of a Princess Grace Award. The recommendation should include how the artist has demonstrated their promise of extraordinary talent based on the Princess Grace Foundation’s multi-prong definition of artistic intentionality, demonstration of technique in artistic practice and potential for innovation or impact of the artist on their field.

Not to exceed 650 words. Once an applicant has sent the request, the nominator will receive an email with a link. The email comes from notifications@email.

submittable. com and will likely go to junk/spam. Please note that the letter of nomination is due on February 2 by 11:59 pm PT.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact their nominator and ensure the letter of nomination has been uploaded by the deadline. 4. Applicant Artist Statement This may be written or video.

Please describe your current artistic work, career trajectory, and the ambitions and aspirations you hold for your artistry. Written: Not to exceed 650 words. Video: Not to exceed 3 minutes.

If you select video format, applicants should still address the prompt above. The video should not include a presentation of your work or be highly edited in any way, and the applicant should speak directly to the camera. Submit 1 work sample.

You are encouraged to submit your best work. Please review the guidelines carefully below. Round 2: Full Application from Invited Applicants Deadline: May 1 (11:59 pm Pacific Time) Panelists will still have access to Round 1 materials.

You will use the same Submittable account for Round 2. Submit a statement describing your process or approach to the creation (Creative Generators) or performance (Performance-based creatives) of one of your work samples included in your application. The statement should help the panel understand how you approached the work and your process to achieve your vision.

Not to exceed one page; minimum font: 12pt; 1” margins. P erformance based creatives: Address your process to bring a role to life, and how your artistry helped you connect with the role and achieve your desired performance. Creative Generators : It is helpful to include a brief description of the work, and collaboration with any key collaborators/project partners to achieve your vision.

3. Additional Letter of Recommendation Applicants must submit 1 additional letter of recommendation from a teacher, mentor or peer in their field. Not to exceed 650 words.

Once an applicant has sent the request, the nominator will receive an email with a link. The email comes from notifications@email. submittable.

com and will likely go to junk/spam. Please note that the letter of nomination is due on February 2 by 11:59 pm PT. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact their nominator and ensure the letter of nomination has been uploaded by the deadline.

Length Time: 10 minutes (cumulative for ALL samples submitted) Number of Samples: Up to 3 work samples In Round 2, you may submit up to 3 work samples. The cumulative time of the work samples is 10 minutes. If the total length of time for all samples exceeds 10-minutes, they will not be viewed.

Please review the guidelines carefully below. There is an option to submit a full work (film, choreographic piece, etc) as supplemental viewing material. Supplemental material can be a complete version of one of your work samples or a different work samples, and does not count toward your 10-minute sample limit.

The full work may not exceed 20 minutes. Pictured: Princess Grace Award winners Camille A. Brown (Choreography 2006), director Jon M.

Chu (Film 2001) on the set of Crazy Rich Asians , and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Isabella Boylston (Dance 2009) The work sample should be a continuous selection from 1 work sample. The sample cannot exceed 2 minutes. Any sample longer than 2 minutes will not be viewed.

The work sample must be a continuous selection from a single work. Excerpts from multiple works or cue points from a longer piece will not be accepted. If you are looking for video editing software, we suggest utilizing iMovie , Vimeo , Clipchamp , or Lightworks .

The work sample should be created within the last five years. Please do not submit samples older than the last five years as it will not be competitive. For theater, dance and choreography artists, we encourage you to think about submitting a work that represents a complete performative thought.

Co-directed work samples are not eligible for submission. Please make sure the link submitted is live and accessible by February 2, 2026, through July 31, 2026. We strongly recommend that live streaming links be secure and the password be provided to the Princess Grace Foundation-USA.

Performance-based creatives, in particular dancers: It is highly recommended that your work sample be a solo. This can be performance footage or filmed in a studio with or without costume. Length Time: 10 minutes (cumulative for ALL samples submitted) Number of Samples: Up to 3 work samples Please make sure links submitted are live and accessible through July 31, 2025.

We strongly recommend that that live streaming links be secure and the password provided to the Princess Grace Foundation-USA. Adjudicators have limited time in which to view your work samples, and may not be able to view the work in its entirety. It is helpful to keep that in mind when selecting work samples, and you may provide specific cue points in your description for the panel to use as viewing reference.

Adjudicators will not view promotional videos, trailers, commercials or PSA’s. The panel views all work samples on a single channel screen with aspect 16:9 ratio. For performance-based creatives: The Adjudicators will not view media-enhanced, highly edited, or promotional-type submissions.

Please do not use works edited with jumpcuts, dissolves, etc. For creative generators: You should describe how your work was originally viewed and how it is intended to be seen by the audience. This will allow the Review Panel to envision the work as it is intended to be seen. Space will be provided in the work sample component of the application.

Pictured: Princess Grace Award winners Leslie Odom Jr. (Theater 2002) as Aaron Burr in Hamilton , director Chinonye Chukwu (Film 2009) on the set of Till , and Stephen Hillenburg (Film 1991), creator of SpongeBob SquarePants Tips for Successful Work Samples Work samples are a significant component of your application and we urge you to use care in selecting the samples you submit.

The Princess Grace Foundation considers theater directors, film directors, choreographers, designers (set, sound, costume, lighting, projection, etc.) as creative generators. Applicants should submit work samples that best represent their artistic style. Submit only samples created/directed by the applicant.

Competitive applicants, in general, submit at least one continuous scene of their work. In the work sample section, applicants are provided space to describe their sample. It is recommended that applicants take the time to provide a robust description and include how that sample relates to your Artist Statement.

Applicants can submit a work in progress. Only include as a work sample if the material is far enough along to accurately represent your work. Concisely and carefully describe its relevance and where you are in the creation process.

Live performance footage: It is helpful to use footage that is well lit and framed on screen. Photos : Should you submit photos of a production, you are best served by submitting multiple photos from a variety of scenes. Theater Directors/Designers: It is strongly recommended that applicants include at least one video from a production as work sample.

We understand providing video can be a challenge, but if possible, we encourage you to send at least 1 video sample. Designers: When submitting photos, submit multiple photos from each production, including if possible, renderings, sketches, and photos of fully realized productions. Sound designers: Specify if you are the composer of the music included in the work sample and how the sound was utilized in the performance and venue.

Though panelists appreciate viewing a range of your body of work, you may decide to submit multiple scenes from one film if you feel that film best represents the current state of your work and artistry. In general, it is not advisable to submit class exercises as work samples, unless it is a good representation of your artistry and trajectory as a filmmaker addressed in your Artist Statement.

Performance-based Creatives The Princess Grace Foundation considers actors, dancers, etc. as performance-based creatives. It is strongly recommended that the applicant submit contrasting work samples (in round 2) in terms of genre and style and work samples that highlight their range of artistic abilities. Competitive applicants, in general, do the following: Submit at least one monologue and one scene work sample.

Work samples can be performance footage or filmed in studio specifically for your work sample. Ensure that the performer is clearly visible. In at least one piece, position the camera to enable a static shot framing the performer’s body from the waist up.

It is recommended that the applicant submit contrasting work samples in terms of style and choreography within the genre and repertory of the artist. Work samples can be performance footage or filmed in studio specifically for your work sample. Ensure that the performer is clearly visible.

If submitting a sample of a group piece, clearly identify the applicant. It is not recommended to use the nominee’s own choreography, unless you have selected to be reviewed in the choreography discipline as well. In round 2, there is an option to submit a full work as supplemental viewing material that is optional for the Adjudicators to view.

The full work may be up to 20 minutes max and can be a complete version of one of your work samples or a different work. The Adjudicators have limited time to review your full length work and it is helpful to indicate your preferred viewing sections of the supplemental material. SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED In 2020, the Princess Grace Awards underwent an evaluation and there have been changes to the Awards process.

To learn more about the Princess Grace Awards Program Update, the values of the Princess Grace Foundation, the Adjudication, please click here . 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.

The Foundation is a non-profit, publicly-supported charity, headquartered in New York City. Apply For A Grant Join our community of dedicated arts patrons. See How You Can Contribute © Princess Grace Foundation-USA | Images supplied by Getty, The Kobal Collection, & Princely Palace of Monaco | Site Design by Scout Collective