Riley Roberts Takes the $30,000 Top Prize at the First D&M Emerging Artist Awards

At a Glance

• Riley Roberts of Los Angeles received the $30,000 Grand Artist Development Award, the top honor in the first D&M Emerging Artist Awards.
• Tsai Hsi Hung of New York received the $15,000 Artist Development Award, and Audrey Skodis of New York received the $10,000 Emerging Vision Award; all grants are subject to final legal and Foundation approval.
• More than 800 artists applied; four selected artists, including Kylah Kuura of Dallas, each received a $5,000 participation stipend.
• The awards were presented October 31, 2026, at Through the Looking Glass, the 2026 edition of D&M Halloween, at Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) in Dallas.

Riley Roberts of Los Angeles received the $30,000 Grand Artist Development Award on October 31, the top honor in the first D&M Emerging Artist Awards. The Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation named three recipients at Through the Looking Glass, the 2026 edition of D&M Halloween, held at Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) in Dallas. Together the awards total $55,000 in unrestricted artist-development grants.

Tsai Hsi Hung of New York received the $15,000 Artist Development Award. Audrey Skodis, also of New York, received the $10,000 Emerging Vision Award. All three grants are subject to final legal and Foundation approval.

More than 800 artists applied nationwide. The review ran over several rounds and included portfolio reviews, an original choreography submission and interviews.

Four selected artists made the final group: Roberts, Hung and Skodis, along with Kylah Kuura of Dallas. A fifth selected artist, TJ McCarthy, stepped away from the program the week before the event to accept a role in New York.

The four spent the week before Halloween in Dallas developing original work with hands-on production guidance. Marcella Raneri mentored them, along with other industry leaders including Alyssa Edwards.

On October 31 they premiered the pieces on the evening's Wonderland stage, at an invitation-only event hosted by Daniel Nutkis and Raneri.

Every selected artist was paid. Each received a $5,000 participation stipend, travel and accommodation, mentorship and production guidance, along with a performance credit and portfolio material.

Raneri, founder and chair of the D&M Emerging Artist Awards, said the first year was everything she hoped for, and more.

“We asked these artists to jump down the rabbit hole with us, and they built an entire world at the bottom,” Raneri said. “Every one of them earned that stage. These grants are about what comes next for Riley, Tsai and Audrey, and for Kylah, who brought so much to that stage.”

Because the grants are unrestricted, recipients can put them toward their creative growth however they choose, from training and new work to future projects.

Raneri is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker and philanthropist. Her dance career includes appearances on So You Think You Can Dance and the Netflix series Dancing Queen.

As a choreographer and former studio owner, she has earned multiple national championship, choreography and top-studio honors. She co-founded the Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation, which backs initiatives in the arts and community causes.

The 2026 edition of D&M Halloween took its cue from Alice in Wonderland. Fashion Industry Gallery became a theatrical setting built from performance, scenic design, installation, music and visual storytelling.

Costume carried the night. Guests interpreted the theme in imaginative costumes, and Raneri wore a custom creation by the Italian designer brand ROCHART, finished with intricate crystal and rhinestone embellishments.

D&M Halloween is a recurring, invitation-only event hosted by Nutkis and Raneri. Each edition is built around its own creative theme and holds guests to a high costume standard.

The Foundation describes the inaugural awards as the first step in a wider multidisciplinary platform, one that pairs artist-development funding and mentorship with professional production experience and public visibility.

This year's edition centered on Performance, Choreography & Movement. Future editions are expected to expand into two further disciplines: Scenic, Installation & World-Building, and Costume, Fashion, Wearable Art & Character Design.