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New York, NY
– On Wednesday evening,
October 23rd at The Pierre in
New York City, in the presence of H.S.H.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Princess
Grace Foundation-USA (www.pgfusa.org),
dedicated to honoring the legacy of
Princess Grace of Monaco (nee Grace
Kelly), hosted the Princess Grace Awards
40th Anniversary Gala.
Celebrating 40 years of grant-making,
family members along with hundreds of
guests from the theater, dance and film
communities gathered to recognize 2023
and 2024 Princess Grace Award Winners,
Honraria and Statue Award Recipients.
Michael Douglas was the recipient of
the highest honor, the Prince Rainier
III Award. With a heart-felt tribute
given by Bernadette Peters, Actress and
2019 Prince Rainier III Recipient, the
statuette designed by Alex Soldier, was
presented to Mr. Douglas by H.S.H. Prince
Albert II of Monaco.
“What an incredible honor
it is to be the recipient of this year's
Prince Rainier III Award. I’ve always
been a fan of Grace Kelly’s iconic
screen work - as were my parents - and I
cherished learning about my dad’s
friendship with Princess Grace during
their Hollywood days and beyond. I’m
humbled to have had the opportunity to
continue that family friendship with
Prince Albert II of Monaco over the
years. And so, to receive this esteemed
award is extraordinarily special."
With over 900 grants
given since the Foundation was
established, Diana Kemppainen,
Foundation President stated, “I
feel incredibly proud of the work the
Foundation has achieved over the past 40
years. Our community of Princess Grace
Award winners continues to impress me,
and I love knowing that the Foundation
has played a small, important part of
their artistic journey. It’s amazing to
reflect on 40 years and think about
those who built the Foundation: Prince
Rainier III, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra,
and key members of the artistic
community, Eduardo Garcia, Barbara
Horgan - who were all so forward-
thinking in how to support artists and
carry forward Princess Grace’s legacy.”
Other Gala Highlights:
Adam Rapp (Playwright, Director, 2006
Princess Grace Statue Award Winner)
presented awards to the 2023 and 2024
Princess Grace Award Winners. Lila
Neugebauer (Director) and Branden
Jacobs-Jenkins (Playwright) were
recipients of the 2024 Statue Award.
Carly Hughes sang “I Want to Go to
Monaco” previously performed by Liza
Minelli at 1985 Princess Grace Award
Gala. The live auction featured THE
CARTIER GRAIN DE CAFÉ NECKLACE, a
spectacular modern re-edition of the
historical Grain De Café Necklace worn
by Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. This
piece is crafted in luminous 18K yellow
gold with 19 brilliant-cut diamonds
delicately set on the tip of each coffee
bean motif. This exquisite Cartier
necklace carries an air of regality
making it a symbol of timeless elegance
and the enchanting allure of Monaco.
Gala Guests in
Attendance: Bernadette
Peters (Actor and 2019 Prince Rainier
III Award); Lila Neugebauer (Director,
2024 Statue Award Recipient); Branden
Jacobs-Jenkins (Playwright, 2024 Statue
Award Recipient); Adam Rapp (Playwright,
Director, Theater 1999 Winner); Eisa
Davis (Actor, Playwright); Carly Hughes
(Performer); Alex Soldier (Jewelry
Designer); Michael Esper (Actor);
Edouard Philipponnat (Actor); Brenda
Vaccaro (Actress); Joshua Bell
(Violinist, Conductor); Larisa Martinez
(Opera Singer); Ella Travolta (Actor);
Cecilia Peck (Filmmaker); Diana
Kemppainen (Princess Grace
Foundation-USA President); Family
members: Hon. John F. Lehman
(Chairman, PGF Board of Trustees); Chris
Le Vine (Trustee); Vicki Le Vine; JB
Kelly (President, Prince
Albert II of Monaco Foundation);
Ginna Le Vine (Actress, Producer);
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (Actress, Singer)
Pre-Gala Highlights:
On Gala eve, Tuesday, October 22, H.S.H
Prince Albert of Monaco and the Princess
Grace Foundation hosted a private
cocktail reception at 425, a Jean George
restaurant, to thank an esteemed group
of Gala ticket holders.
MORE ABOUT PRINCE RAINIER
III AWARD
This prestigious award
honored Douglas’ charitable efforts and
dedication to the arts. Mr. Douglas’
grant will benefit The Douglas
Foundation.
In 2005, the Princess
Grace Foundation-USA created the Prince
Rainier III Award to commemorate the
memory of Prince Rainier III of Monaco
who established the Foundation as a
public charity in memory of Princess
Grace of Monaco.
The Prince Rainier III
Award recognizes a renowned leader in
the arts whose own outstanding artistic
accomplishments are coupled with
demonstrated service to their community
and includes a grant to the
philanthropic organization of the
recipient’s choice. The lean statuette
designed by Alex Soldier, the NY-based
artist known for his handmade jewels and
design objects, incorporates symbols
representing all three disciplines –
theater, dance and film.
Previous recipients of
the Prince Rainier III Award include
Bernadette Peters, Tim Daly, Jane
Cameron, Queen Latifah, Julie Andrews,
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Glenn Close, George
Lucas, Mandy Patinkin, Twyla Tharp,
Denzeland and Paulette Washington,
Cicely Tyson, Dick Van Dyke, and Robert
Redford and Sibylle Szaggars Redford.
PRINCE RAINER III AWARD
COMMENTS FROM HSH AND FOUNDATION
PRESIDENT
Prince Albert II of
Monaco said of Michael Douglas: “His
demonstrated life-long devotion to
helping others throughout his
accomplished career as an award-winning
actor, and as a second-generation actor
alongside his dad, Kirk Douglas is
unparalleled. Michael and his family’s
commitment to philanthropy echoes My
family’s own commitment and I am
delighted to present Michael Douglas
with this year’s Prince Rainier III
Award.”
Princess Grace
Foundation-USA President, Diana
Kemppainen said: “To honor
the outstanding artistry and give-back
of the legendary Michael Douglas and The
Douglas Foundation at such a
milestone event, marking the 40th
anniversary for the Princess Grace
Foundation, is extraordinary on so many
levels. We are honored to host
a legendary event celebrating
luminaries whose giving will continue to
foster future talent for generations to
come.”
ABOUT 2023 and 2024
PRINCESS GRACE AWARD WINNERS, HONORARIA
AND STATUE RECIPIENTS
The Princess Grace
Foundation-USA (www.pgfusa.org),
dedicated to honoring the legacy of
Princess Grace of Monaco, today
announced 18 Princess Grace Award
winners and 11 Honoraria recipients into
the Princess Grace community. As part of
the Princess Grace Foundation’s 40th anniversary
celebrating emerging artists in theater,
dance and film. recipients have
been named within 4 prestigious award
programs: Princess Grace Award, Special
Project Grant, Grace Kelly Scholarship
and the re-introduction of the Princess
Grace Statue Award. This
year’s Princess Grace Award winners join
the community of over 900 artists who
have been provided exclusive grant,
career development, and networking
opportunities.
See Link for
full list of grant winners and
recipients of the 2024 Princess Grace
Awards.
For the first time since
2019, the Princess Grace Foundation will
also award the Princess Grace Statue
Award. Given to previous Princess Grace
Award winners who have distinguished
themselves in their artistic
disciplines, the Statue Award comes with
a $25,000 unrestricted cash grant. This
year’s recipients are playwright and
Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden
Jacobs-Jenkins and theater & film
director Lila Neugebauer. Longtime
artistic collaborators and friends, the
Statue Award celebrates their individual
artistic achievements and creative
collaboration. Their most recent
partnership “Appropriate”, written by
Branden and directed by Lila, won Best
Revival of a Play at the 77th Annual
Tony Awards.
ABOUT THE ABOUT
THE PRINCESS GRACE AWARDS
Founded in 1982 by
Prince Rainier III of Monaco to honor
the legacy of his wife, Grace Kelly, the
Princess Grace Foundation-USA has worked
to identify and assist emerging talent
in theater, dance and film by awarding
game-changing grants and building a
community of artistic support. Since
the Awards were first given in 1984, the
Foundation has given out more than $19
million to
more than 900 recipients since it was
established.
ABOUT PRINCESS GRACE
FOUNDATION – USA (www.pgfusa.org)
The Princess Grace
Foundation-USA is dedicated to honoring
the legacy of 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 emerging artists in
theater, dance and film through career
advancing 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. The Foundation has awarded
over 900 recipients. Notable Princess
Grace Award winners include: Jon
M. Chu director of Crazy Rich
Asians and upcoming Wicked; Stephen
Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob
SquarePants; Sundance Grand Jury
Prize winner and director of Till Chinonye
Chukwu; Tony Award winner director Anna
Shapiro; Pulitzer Prize and Tony
Award winner playwright Tony Kushner;
Golden Globe Award winner Oscar Isaac;
Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr;
American Ballet Theatre’s Gillian
Murphy and Isabella Boylston;
New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck;
and choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille
A. Brown.
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