Princess Grace Foundation USA

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OVERVIEW: Princess Grace Awards support emerging U.S.-based artists in theater, dance and film.

IP TAKE: The Princess Grace Foundation recently streamlined its awards program and now runs a single application for artists from the fields of theater, dance and film. These awards are intended for “emerging” artists who demonstrate the potential for “extraordinary” contributions to their field. To apply, artists must be nominated by an institution of higher education, an arts organization or an past awardee. Nomination for Princess Grace awards are due on February 15 each year. If invited, applications are due on May 1.

PROFILE: Founded in 1982, the Princess Grace Foundation was created by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to honor the memory of his wife, Princess Grace Kelly, and to continue her legacy of supporting American performing and film artists. The foundation’s stated mission “is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, (née Grace Kelly) and elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants.” It awards grants to “early career artists” and “nurtures and supports Princess Grace Award winners throughout their careers.”

Grants for Dance, Film and Theater

Princess Grace Awards support individual artists in categories designated by the foundation as creative generators and performance-based creatives. Creative generators, per the foundation’s website, include theater and film directors, stage and set designers and choreographers, and performance-based creators are actors and dancers. Awards are also open to multidisciplinary artists who work across or beyond these disciplines. Applicants must be nominated by an academic institution, an arts organization or a past winner or honorarium of the program. Applications materials include curricula vitae, a letter of recommendation from the nominator, a statement from the artist, a sample of the applicant’s work and a headshot. Applications are evaluated on two main determination points:

  • Applications must show that the applicant is an emerging artist. By emerging, the foundation means that the applicant has “enough of a body of work that the ‘promise of extraordinary’ is evident but the artist is still at the beginning stages of their career.”

  • Applications must also show that the applicant demostrates “the promise of extraordinary,” to which the foundation applies a “multi-prong” definition that includes “artistic intentionality, demonstration of technique in artistic practice, potential for innovation or impact of the artist on their field.”

The foundation’s application page also offers specific tips and recommendations for applicants according to whether they fall into the creative generator or performance-based artist category.

For profiles of recent award winners, see the foundation’s award winners page.

Important Grant Details:

Princess Grace Awards consist of unrestricted grants of $15,000 ’s scholarships, fellowships and honoraria are awarded in the amount of $10,000. The foundation awards between seven and ten awards each in theater, dance and film each year. For information about recent awards, see the foundation’s award winners page. 

Princess Grace awards are open to U.S.-based artists who are currently working in the U.S. Artists who are not citizens of the U.S. must have permanent work authorization. Award candidates must be nominated “by a non-profit university, organization, media arts center or previous Princess Grace Award winner.” Nominations consist of a letter of recommendation, an artist’s statement, one additional letter of recommendation and a headshot. If selected, candidates will be invited to submit additional written materials and samples of work based on their discipline for a second round of adjudication. Nominations are due on February 15, and applications are due on May 1 of each year. The foundation posts additional guidelines and application information on its website. 

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