Princess Grace Foundation-USA to present Leslie Odom Jr. and Camille A. Brown with 2016 Princess Grace Statue Awards
Princess Grace Awards Gala to take place on October 24th in New York, NY
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (April 26, 2016) — The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that Leslie Odom Jr. and Camille A. Brown will be the recipients of the 2016 Princess Grace Statue Awards. Mr. Odom and Ms. Brown will be honored at the Princess Grace Awards Gala in New York on October 24, 2016.
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 Princess Grace Statue Award.
Leslie Odom Jr. is a 2002 Princess Grace Award winner (Acting) and a multifaceted performer who can currently be seen starring on Broadway as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the blockbuster hit musical, “Hamilton.” After making his Broadway debut at the age of 17, he has gone on to become a successful recording artist and respected stage and screen actor. He is a Grammy Award winner as a principal soloist on Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast Recording, which won the 2015 award for Best Musical Theater Album. Odom’s self-titled album will be released in June.
Camille A. Brown is a 2006 Princess Grace Award winner (Choreography & Works in Progress Residency) and a prolific choreographer and activist who has received multiple accolades and awards for her original and daring works, including a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship, 2016 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, and 2015 Doris Duke Artist Award. She utilizes dance and dialogue – with the use of musical composition, theater, and visual art – to make a personal claim on both history and the present through the lens of a modern black female perspective.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco said, “We are proud to celebrate the successes and talents of this year’s Statue winners Leslie Odom Jr. and Camille A. Brown. Over the last decade, since winning their initial Princess Grace Awards, Leslie and Camille have demonstrated excellence in their chosen fields. We are honored to bestow this special distinction on each of them and look forward to watching them thrive.”
In addition to $25,000 unrestricted cash gifts, Mr. Odom and Ms. Brown will be presented with bronze statues of Princess Grace created by the Dutch artist Kees Verkade.
PGF-USA Executive Director Toby Boshak said, “Leslie and Camille have been inspirational to us for as long as we have known them. Though their disciplines are completely different, both have grown exponentially in their careers and achieved greatness. We are thrilled to honor them.”
For more information about the Princess Grace Awards program, please visit www.pgfusa.org
