Princess Grace Foundation-USA Hosts 29th Annual PRINCESS GRACE AWARDS GALA

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that the 29th Annual Princess Grace Awards Gala will be held on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.  The Awards ceremony will include the presentation of 21 awards to emerging artists in theater, dance and film as well as the Prince Rainier III Award to be presented to Julie Andrews and the Princess Grace Statue Award to be presented to Jon M. Chu.  The Awards recipients hail from cities and states across America and will travel to New York City to receive their honor at the glamorous black tie ceremony. The 29th Annual Princess Grace Awards Gala will take place in the presence of TSH The Prince and The Princess of Monaco, marking their first U.S. visit since their July wedding. The evening will be chaired by Dr. Jon Turk (PGF-USA Trustee) and Carolyn Gusoff Turk.  This year's Awards Gala will be highlighted by the unveiling of a unique tribute to Princess Grace by Montblanc.  Presenting Sponsor for the Gala is Hermes; Platinum Sponsor is Noelle and Dick Wolf; Crown Sponsor is Lily Safra; American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Princess Grace Awards Gala and 1-800-Flowers.com is the Official Florist.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a public charity, was formed after the death of Princess Grace in 1982. They present scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships to assist artists at the start of their careers.  The Foundation has cultivated a diverse group of nearly 600 artists to date who continue to advance the spectrum of performing arts with innovative, cutting-edge, and vibrant theater, dance, choreography, film, playwriting and design.  Since the Foundation's inception, more than 700 Awards have been given to recipients, totaling more than $8.5 million.

This year, PGF-USA will honor Julie Andrews with the Prince Rainier III Award for her outstanding contribution to motion picture, television and theater arts. This Award is presented to eminent artists who have not only been highly successful in their careers, but have made significant humanitarian contributions to their fields. To date, Mikhail Baryshnikov (2005), Twyla Tharp (2006), George Lucas (2007), Glenn Close (2008), Mandy Patinkin (2009) and Denzel & Pauletta Washington (2010) have received this honor, which includes a grant of $25,000 to the philanthropic organization of their choice and a unique sculpture designed by the artist, Alex Soldier.

"Julie Andrews' extraordinary artistic talent and distinguished career in theater, television and film has been a beacon of inspiration to countless creative young artists, many of whom we acknowledge at this celebration," says Hon. John Lehman, Chairman of the Board, Princess Grace Foundation-USA. "In the spirit of Princess Grace, it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the achievements of Ms. Andrews and the creativity, passion and budding talent of our Awards winners."

Past winners of the Awards for theater, dance and film who distinguish themselves in their artistic disciplines since receiving their initial Princess Grace Awards are eligible to win the Foundation's Princess Grace Statue Award. This year, Jon M. Chu will be honored for his outstanding achievements.  Mr. Chu received his first Princess Grace Award, a Film Scholarship at the University of Southern California, in 2001. In addition to a $25,000 unrestricted cash gift, these Awardees are presented with a bronze statuette of Princess Grace created by the Dutch artist Kees Verkade. To date, fifty-four artists have received this award.

At the Gala, The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco will be premiered in the U.S.- a spectacular, new tribute collection to one of the most remarkable individuals of all time, celebrated for Her iconic, timeless style; Her artistic talent as an Oscar©-winning actress and Her unrelenting commitment to helping others.  The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco is a continuation of the privileged relationship the brand has enjoyed with the Principality of Monaco in recent years. Consisting of fine jewelry pieces, timepieces and writing instruments, the Montblanc Collection is true to Princess Grace's enduring style and sophistication. Feminine and elegant, the pieces from this collection are some of the most exquisite ever crafted in Montblanc's Ateliers, rich in details and inspired by this icon's spirit and attention to style.

For the third year in a row, celebrated artist Alex Soldier, known for his mastery of precious miniatures, has created an objet d'art to symbolize the Princess Grace Awards. The Award symbolically combines the three art forms lauded by the Foundation: theater, dance, and film by using precious metals and Swarovski crystal accents. Presented as a sculpture for the Prince Rainier III recipient, this work of art is created for each Princess Grace Award winner to wear as a pin, a special reminder of their Award for the world to see.

The Gala will begin with cocktails, followed by a spectacular opening act; then a 3-course dinner catered by Cipriani 42nd Street; followed by the Awards presentations and finally, dancing to DJ Clockwork in the Chapel Room.  At the Gala, guests will have the opportunity to support the Foundation by bidding on an extensive collection of exceptional silent auction lots including leather goods, jewelry and accessories, all spearheaded by the generosity of Montblanc. All auction proceeds will benefit Princess Grace Awards to advance its mission of providing crucial support to emerging artists in America.

2011 PRINCESS GRACE AWARD WINNERS

Each year, the Foundation presents the Princess Grace Awards to artists who show excellence and promise in the areas of theater, dance, and film.  Students are eligible for scholarships; emerging artists working in companies qualify for apprenticeships and fellowships.  A playwriting fellowship is available for individual artists through a residency at New Dramatists in New York City, which includes the opportunity to have the winning play be licensed and published by Samuel French, Inc.  In addition to these, the Foundation also gives honorable mention grants to applicants through Honoraria.  

The 2011 Princess Grace Awards winners (listed below) represent 20 colleges, universities, and not-for-profit theater and dance companies throughout the United States. The Awards winners exemplify both classical and experimental artistic disciplines and, while still considered emerging talent, already show exceptional promise in their areas of expertise. The Foundation's support assists their theater and dance studies, helps pay their artistic fees at non-profit theater and dance companies and helps support their thesis film projects. In addition to the Awards, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA extends general operating monies to companies hosting an Awards winner. This year's Princess Grace Awards winners are:

THEATER AND PLAYWRITING

CarlosAlexis Cruz
Theater Fellowship, Grace Le Vine Award
Miracle Theatre Group

Miriam A. Hyman
Theater Scholarship, George C. Wolfe Award
Yale School of Drama

Matt Jones
Theater Apprenticeship, Robert & Gloria Hausman Award
Alternative Theater Ensemble

Hana Sooyeon Kim
Theater Scholarship, Faberge Award
University of California, Los Angeles

Sarah Rasmussen
Theater Apprenticeship, Pierre Cardin Award
Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Sadieh Rifai
Theater Fellowship, Gant Gaither Award
American Theater Company

Johnna Adams
Playwriting Fellowship
New Dramatists, Inc.

DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Alisa Alba
Dance Fellowship
The National Institute of Flamenco

Joseph Gorak
Dance Fellowship
American Ballet Theatre

Margaret Mullin
Dance Fellowship
Pacific Northwest Ballet

Jeffrey Van Sciver
Dance Scholarship, Chris Hellman Award
Dominican University/LINES Ballet

Casia Vengoechea
Dance Scholarship
The Julliard School-Dance Division

Frederick "Pete" Leo Walker
Dance Fellowship
North Carolina Dance Theatre

Zoe Scofield
Choreography Fellowship
DiverseWorks ArtSpace

Olivier Wevers
Choreography Fellowship
Spectrum Dance Theater

FILM

Valerie Bischoff
Film Graduate Scholarship
Columbia University

Emily Hyde
Film Undergraduate Scholarship
Pacific Northwest College of Art

Gina Marie Napolitan
Film Graduate Scholarship
California Institute of the Arts

Raul Paz Pastrana
Film Graduate Scholarship, Cary Grant Award
School of Visual Arts

Temra Pavlovic
Film Undergraduate Scholarship, John H. Johnson Award
California Institute of the Arts

Iva Radivojevic
Film Graduate Scholarship
CUNY Hunter College

HONORARIA

R. Davis McCallum
Theater Honorarium
The Public Theater

Jacqueline Burnett
Dance Honorarium
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Nigel Campbell
Dance Honorarium
Luna Negra Dance Theater

Chanel DaSilva
Dance Honorarium
Trey McIntyre Project

Shreyasi Das
Film Honorarium
Rochester Institute of Technology

Nick Twemlow
Film Honorarium
University of Iowa

SPECIAL PROJECT and WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS

Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center are grants available to past Princess Grace Awards winners and Honoraria recipients for uniquely significant projects that advance their artistic development.  This year's Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies are:

SPECIAL PROJECT AWARDS

Rose Bond
Regina Garcia
Alex Ketley
Rashaun Mitchell
Jimmy Orrante
Alice Reagan
Amie Siegel
Karolina Sobecka

WORKS IN PROGRESS RESIDENCIES

Charlotte Brathwaite
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
David Neumann

About Prince Rainier III Award Honoree – Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honored star of stage, screen and television for more than half a century.  She was already a Broadway legend when she made her feature film debut in 1964's "Mary Poppins."  Andrews' iconic performance in the title role of the magical nanny brought her an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award.  The following year, she earned a second Oscar® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music."  She received her third Academy Award® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her "dual" role in "Victor/Victoria." In addition to her stage and screen work, Julie has dedicated her life to her family and to serving important causes, including Operation USA, an international relief organization with which Julie has traveled to such places as Vietnam and Cambodia.  From 1992 to 2006 she was honored as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which provides financial and technical support for low-income women in developing countries. Ms. Andrews received her honors as a Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on New Year's Eve 1999.  She was also a 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree.  

About Princess Grace Statue Award Winner – Jon M. Chu

Jon M. Chu is the director of Touchstone Pictures/Summit Entertainment's Step Up 2 The Streets (2008), and Step Up 3D (2010). Combined, these two films have grossed over $300 million theatrically. In 2011, Paramount Pictures released Chu's third film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which has since garnered rave reviews and claimed the title as the highest grossing concert themed film of all time in the U.S. and the third highest grossing documentary of all time. Combining old school story telling with new school technology, Chu has managed to find a style that has been described as both innovative and ambitious.

Besides his feature films, Chu is active in the online entertainment world. He is the writer and creator of The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, which is the number one original program for Hulu. With over 20 million hits on his YouTube channel and over 250 thousand followers on twitter, Chu's success in the online space was recognized with the 2011 Digital Pioneer Emmy Award as well as AdAge's Vanguard Award for outstanding web series. The webseries has been described as "groundbreaking" by the New York Times and "... by a wide margin, the most beautifully filmed, elaborately staged web series in the history of the medium ..." from Advertising Age. Other points of recognition include the Jack Nicholson Directing award, the Princess Grace Award, an MTV Movie award, a Teen Choice Award and a coveted speaking invitation to the world renowned TED conference. Chu is currently in preproduction on the next film in the Paramount Picture's G.I. JOE franchise that will be released in theaters Summer 2012.

ABOUT THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION – USA

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported foundation, headquartered in New York City and founded more than 25 years ago by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in honor of his wife, Princess Grace [Kelly].  The Foundation's mission, that mirrors Princess Grace's in Her lifetime, is to support emerging artists in theater, dance and film through the awarding of scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships. Since the Foundation's inception, more than 700 Awards have been given to recipients, totaling more than $8.5 million. Some notable Princess Grace Awards recipients in Theater include: 2008 Tony® Award winner for Best Direction of a Play, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer and Tony® Award winning playwright Tony Kushner; and Academy Award® winner Eric Simonson.  Film recipients include: Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; Greg Mottola, director of Paul, Adventureland and Superbad; and Cary Joji Fukunaga, writer and director of Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre.  Dance/Choreography Awards recipients include: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre's Gillian Murphy, Ethan Stiefel and Sarah Lane; as well as choreographers Andrea Miller and Dominic Walsh.

About the 2011 Princess Grace Awards Gala

The 2011 Princess Grace Awards Gala is being produced by Scott Mauro of Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc. for the seventh consecutive year. Tickets for the Gala start at $1,250 for Patron tickets and $2,500 for Benefactor tickets.  Tables may be purchased for $15,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000.  Approximately 500 guests are expected to attend.  Those interested in tickets may contact Tamara Leuchtenburg at Event Associates at 212-245-6570 or [email protected]. A downloadable invitation and response card and additional information can be found at www.pgfusa.org.

For more information, please visit www.pgfusa.org.

SOURCE Princess Grace Foundation-USA