Princess Grace Foundation Honors Tony Winner Cicely Tyson Tonight

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that Cicely Tyson will accept the Prince Rainier III Award and filmmaker and New Arts Axis Director, Wendy Levy, and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Tiler Peck, will receive Princess Grace Statue Awards at the 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala tonight, October 30, 2013, at Cipriani 42(nd) Street in New York City.

In addition, the Awards ceremony will include the presentation of 24 awards to emerging artists in theater, dance and film, who 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 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala will take place in the presence of HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco, and will be chaired by William and Serena Lese and Sandra van Essche. Crown Sponsor is Lily Safra.

The Prince Rainier III Award recognizes a renowned leader in the arts whose own accomplishments are coupled with demonstrated service to the performing arts. Past recipients of the award include Julie Andrews, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Glenn Close, George Lucas, Mandy Patinkin, Twyla Tharp, and Denzel and Pauletta Washington, which includes a grant of $25,000 to the philanthropic organization of their choice.

"I was privileged to meet and work with the two time Princess Grace Awardee, Michael Wilson on my recent return to the Broadway stage after a thirty year absence, in Horton Foote's, The Trip to Bountiful," Tyson said. "I can say it was his exceptional brilliance as a director that gave me the confidence to give all I could as a performer and I am honored to be in his company along with the esteemed college of past honorees in accepting the Prince Rainier III Award."

Actress, advocate and humanitarian, Cicely Tyson is renowned for her portrayals of strong female characters on stage, screen and television. From her stunning initial stage appearance, to her triumphant 2013 return to the Broadway stage after a 30 year hiatus in Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful garnered her rave reviews and earned her the triple crown of theatre awards: the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Actress in a Play. Best known for her double Emmy performance as Jane in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," Ms. Tyson was also nominated for an Academy Award for Sounder. She received her third Emmy Award for "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All" and was nominated for her performances in "Roots," "King," "Sweet Justice," "The Marva Collins Story," and "A Lesson Before Dying." Her many film credits include The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Fried Green Tomatoes, Because of Winn-Dixie, Hoodlum, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married Too?, The Help and Alex Cross. Ms. Tyson has spoken at over 500 colleges and universities and as a Commissioner, was credited by the President as the driving force in the development of the forthcoming National African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington, D.C. In recognition of her talent, dedication and contributions, Ms. Tyson has been the recipient of countless awards, including numerous Honorary Doctorates and an unprecedented number of NAACP Image Awards. Ms. Tyson is among the elite number of entertainers honored with a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame and is the recipient of the NAACP's highest honor, the prestigious Spingarn Award. Since 1996, Ms. Tyson has served as the guiding force of the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. This $143 million institution of academic and creative expression, in East Orange, New Jersey, serves 1,200 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. This cultural icon and National Treasure continues to develop her art as she takes on new roles and opportunities in her efforts to enlighten the human race.

PGF-USA Chairman John F. Lehman remarks, ""The Foundation is proud to honor Ms. Tyson for her role in helping to support students and young professionals in the performing arts. As demonstrated by her unparalleled lifetime of work, Ms. Tyson is an exemplary champion of human and civil rights and artistry."

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, filmmaker and Director, New Arts Axis Wendy Levy and New York City Ballet Principal dancer Tiler Peck will be receiving this honor. In addition to a $25,000 unrestricted cash gift, these Awards winners are presented with a bronze statuette of Princess Grace created by the Dutch artist Kees Verkade. To date, fifty-eight artists have received this award.

For the fifth year in a row, celebrated artist Alex Soldier, known for his mastery of fine jewelry and 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 to Cecily Tyson, 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 2013 Princess Grace Awards winners (listed below) represent 24 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. 2013 marks the second year of the Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Awards with the generous support of the Ford Foundation. These Awards assist social justice documentary filmmakers who represent and give voice to Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. In total, the Foundation is awarding more than $1 million to artists this year.

The 2013 Princess Grace Awards winners are:

THEATER AND PLAYWRITNG
Sathya Sridharan
Theater Scholarship, Grace Le Vine Theater Award
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Dustin Wills
Theater Scholarship, Lynn Wyatt Theater Award
Yale University

Carrie Morris
Theater Apprenticeship, Faberge Theater Award
PuppetART Detroit

Maechi Aharanwa
Theater Fellowship, Gant Gaither Theater Award
Classical Theatre of Harlem

Lila Neugebauer
Theater Fellowship, Robert and Gloria Hausman Theater Award
Actors Theatre of Louisville

Kristen Robinson
Theater Fellowship, Pierre Cardin Award
Westport Country Playhouse

Jiehae Park
Playwriting Fellowship
New Dramatists

DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY
Alexander L. Anderson
Dance Scholarship, Alexander Moore Bayer Dance Award
The Juilliard School-Dance Division

Skylar P. Brandt
Dance Fellowship
American Ballet Theatre

Courtney A. Henry
Dance Fellowship, Chris Hellman Dance Award
Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Talli Jackson
Dance Fellowship
New York Live Arts

Rachelle Anais Scott
Dance Fellowship
Cedar Lake Ballet

Rosie Herrera
Choreography Fellowship
Ballet Hispanico

Loni Landon
Choreography Fellowship
BODYTRAFFIC

Robyn Mineko Williams
Choreography Fellowship
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

FILM
Thalia Fry
Undergraduate Film Scholarship, Charles Evans Film Award
California Institute of the Arts

Kendal Hockin
Undergraduate Film Scholarship
Pacific Northwest College of Art

Devyn Manibo
Undergraduate Film Scholarship
Hampshire College

Niav Conty
Graduate Film Scholarship, Srichand Parmanand Hinduja Film Award
City College of New York

Whitney Elise Johnston
Graduate Film Scholarship, Cary Grant Film Award
School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Richard Wiebe
Graduate Film Scholarship, John J. Johnson Film Award
University of Iowa

Javier Roberto Carlos Briones
Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Award
San Francisco State University

Ciara L. Lacy
Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Award
Sundance Institute

Sergio Mata'u Rapu
Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Award
Pacific Islanders in Communication

HONORARIA
Carter Redwood
Theater Honorarium
Carnegie Mellon University

Bailey L. Rosa
Theater Honorarium
The Theatre School at DePaul University

Aaron White
Theater Honorarium
Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble

Taylor Dunne
Graduate Film Scholarship
University of Colorado

Lena I. Jackson
Graduate Film Scholarship
University of California, Santa Cruz

Jonathan King
Graduate Film Scholarship
UCLA

David Romberg
Graduate Film Scholarship
Temple University

Nora Sweeney
Graduate Film Scholarship
California Institute of the Arts

Natalie Y. Tsui
Graduate Film Scholarship
San Francisco State University

Peter Franco
Undergraduate Film Scholarship
Carleton College

Louva Hartwell
Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Honorarium
Institute of American Indian Arts

Claire K. Miyamoto
Princess Grace JustFilms Documentary Honorarium
University of California, Santa Cruz

SPECIAL PROJECT, WORKS IN PROGRESS RESIDENCIES and CHOREOGRAPHY MENTORSHIP CO-COMMISSION (CMCC) AWARDS
Special Project Awards, Works in Progress Residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and the Choreography Mentorship Co-Commission (CMCC) Awards (in its inaugural year) are grants available to past Princess Grace Awards winners and Honoraria recipients for uniquely significant projects that advance their artistic development.

SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS
Esy Casey
Chinonye Chukwu
Eric Kupers
Zoe Scofield
Stephanie Spray
Maureen Towey

WORKS IN PROGRESS RESIDENCIES
Camille A. Brown
Hana Sooyeon Kim
Kaneza Schaal

CHOREOGRAPHY MENTORSHIP CO-COMMISSION (CMCC) AWARDS
Alex Ketley at the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC)

ABOUT PRINCESS GRACE STATUE WINNERS-WENDY LEVY AND Tiler Peck:

Wendy Levy: Wendy Levy is the Director of New Arts Axis, an organization dedicated to facilitating creative innovation for arts, culture and human rights. She works with artists, foundations and NGOs to create projects that leverage the power of storytelling, community and technology for lasting social impact. Wendy is also a Senior Consultant with The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Co-Founder of Sparkwise, an online story and data platform funded by the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Bill and MeLinda Gates Foundation. Wendy's short films have screened at Sundance and at festivals internationally, won numerous awards and have been broadcast on PBS and the Sundance Channel. She has been featured speaker at the United Nations, Sundance Film Festival, Skoll World Forum, and SXSW, among many other venues.

Tiler Peck: Tiler Peck was born in Bakersfield, California. She is currently enjoying her 4th year as Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet. Tiler made her Broadway debut as Gracie Shinn in MerEdith Wilson's The Music Man at age 11. She has been featured on 2 episodes of Dancing With The Stars and was a guest star on Bravo's Rocco's Dinner Party. Last season, Tiler had the distinct honor of performing for President Obama at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors and was thrilled to portray the role of Louise in the Emmy-nominated production of Carousel at New York Philharmonic's Live From Lincoln Center broadcast. Ms. Peck is the 2004 Mae L. Wien Award winner, the Janice Levin Honoree for 2006-2007, and winner of the Leonide Massine's Positano Premia La Danza for International Emerging Artists. Tiler is currently preparing to play the title role in Susan Stroman's newest musical, Little Dancer, which will premiere at the Kennedy Center in October 2014.

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 30 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 800 Awards have been given to recipients, totaling more than $10 million. Some notable Princess Grace Awards recipients in Film include: Cary Joji Fukunaga, director of Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants and Greg Mottola, director of Paul, Adventureland and Superbad. Theater recipients include: 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Direction of a Play, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright Tony Kushner; and 2006 Academy Award winner Eric Simonson. Dance/Choreography recipients include: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre's Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston and Sarah Lane; as well as choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown.
For more information, visit www.pgfusa.org.

About the 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala: Earlier in the day, the Dom Perignon Crown Luncheon will take place for donors to the Foundation. That night, the Gala will begin with cocktails, followed by an Awards Ceremony featuring special presentations by Princess Grace Awards winners including a performance by tap sensation Michelle Dorrance; then a 3-course dinner catered by Cipriani 42(nd) Street; and finally, dancing to DJ Clockwork in the Chapel Room. At the Gala, guests will have the opportunity to support the Foundation by bidding at the silent auction. All auction proceeds will benefit Princess Grace Awards to advance its mission of providing crucial support to emerging artists in America.

The 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala is being produced by Scott Mauro of Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc. for the ninth 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 x15 or tamaral@eventassociatesinc.com. A downloadable invitation and response card and additional information can be found at www.pgfusa.org.

For more information about the Princess Grace Awards program, visit www.pgfusa.org; visit our Facebook page for "Princess Grace Awards" and follow us on Twitter @PrincessGraceUS.

SOURCE Princess Grace Foundation-USA

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos