Princess Grace Foundation: In October, director Jon M. Chu will receive a trophy from Prince Albert II in New York.

After Michael Douglas last year, the members of the Princess Grace Foundation USA have chosen a director to award the prestigious Prince Rainier III Award this year. And it is the American filmmaker, Jon M. Chu , who will receive the trophy from Prince Albert II on October 29 at the Plaza in New York. At 45, the Californian director, a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, has built a career already marked by several successes such as the comedy Crazy Rich Asian with Michelle Yeoh, which became a phenomenon in 2018. Or the big screen adaptation of the musical Wicked last year, the second part of which is expected this year.

Jon M. Chu is also closely linked to the Princess Grace Foundation USA in his history, as the team had already awarded him, in 2001 , an award to help him finance a short musical film and validate his thesis. "More than 20 years ago, the Foundation opened a door for me at a time when few others would have done so and made me feel part of a great artistic family: a family founded on generosity, grace and belief in potential. Princess Grace's legacy of supporting young artists has shaped the very foundations of my career," the director said when he learned he would receive the Prince Rainier III Award, "an award that reminds me with deep humility that I am still part of this family and that I continue the cycle of support that she began."

A prize awarded for twenty years to personalities

For Prince Albert II, who will preside over the ceremony this fall in Manhattan as usual, "Jon M. Chu's artistic achievements and generosity are both exceptional." The Sovereign is particularly attached to the work of this foundation in the United States, which bears his mother's name and which supports young artists in need of creation and personalities from the world of entertainment who also work to redistribute what they have received.

"It is a great honor for my family and me to continue my mother's commitment to the arts and philanthropy," added Prince Albert II, recalling that 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Grace Kelly winning an Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl.

Another anniversary will be the Prince Rainier III Award, which has been commemorating the memory of the former sovereign for twenty years and which rewards a renowned artist each year, awarding them a grant of $25,000 to the philanthropic organization of their choice. Julie Andrews, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Glenn Close, George Lucas, Mandy Patinkin, Denzel Washington, Dick Van Dyke and Robert and Sibylle Redford, among others, have been honored over the past twenty years. "Jon's work exemplifies dedication to art and storytelling, demonstrating the very spirit of craftsmanship that we celebrate through the Princess Grace Foundation. This is the first time that the foundation has awarded the Prince Rainier III Award to a former Princess Grace Award recipient," said Diana Kemppainen, president of the Princess Grace Foundation USA . "It underscores both the singular talent of Jon M. Chu and the long-standing promise of our program."