Down the Rabbit Hole and Into the Spotlight: D&M Emerging Artist Awards Names Its First Three Award Recipients

Four artists. One very curious Halloween night. Riley Roberts, Tsai Hsi Hung and Audrey Skodis are named recipients of $55,000 in unrestricted artist awards.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Four artists went down the rabbit hole. Three came back as Award Recipients. On Halloween night, the Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation named the first Award Recipients of the D&M Emerging Artist Awards at Through the Looking Glass, the 2026 edition of D&M Halloween, at Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) in Dallas.

- $30,000 Grand Artist Development Award: Riley Roberts of Los Angeles
- $15,000 Artist Development Award: Tsai Hsi Hung of New York
- $10,000 Emerging Vision Award: Audrey Skodis of New York

Getting there was no tea party. The Selected Artists were chosen from more than 800 applications received nationwide, through a multi-round review that included portfolio review, an original choreography submission and interviews.

Then the real adventure began. The Selected Artists spent the week before the event in Dallas developing original work, with mentorship from Marcella Raneri and other leaders in the industry, including ALYSSA EDWARDS. On Oct. 31, Audrey Skodis (New York), Kylah Kuura (Dallas), Riley Roberts (Los Angeles) and Tsai Hsi Hung (New York) took the Wonderland stage, presenting their work at an invitation-only event focused on the world of choreography and movement. A fifth Selected Artist, TJ McCarthy, stepped away from the program the week before the event to accept his dream role in New York.

Every Selected Artist was supported, not only the winners. Each participating Selected Artist received a $5,000 artist participation stipend, along with travel and accommodations, mentorship, production guidance, event credit and portfolio material. The three awards are unrestricted artist-development grants intended to support each recipient’s continued creative growth, subject to final legal and Foundation approval.

Marcella 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. We can't wait to see where all four of them land. And to TJ, we wish you all the best in New York." And this is only Year One. The inaugural program spotlighted Performance, Choreography & Movement. Future years are expected to open the looking glass wider, to Scenic, Installation & World-Building and to Costume, Fashion, Wearable Art & Character Design. Follow the rabbit at dmhalloween.com.

About the D&M Emerging Artist Awards
The D&M Emerging Artist Awards identify, support and elevate emerging creative talent through artist-development funding, mentorship, professional production experience and public visibility. The Awards are designed as a multidisciplinary platform encompassing Performance, Choreography & Movement; Scenic, Installation & World-Building; and Costume, Fashion, Wearable Art & Character Design. The inaugural 2026 program focused on Performance, Choreography & Movement and premiered at Through the Looking Glass, the 2026 edition of D&M Halloween.

About the Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation
The Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation supports initiatives that advance the public good, expand opportunity and create meaningful impact across the arts and community-focused causes. Guided by Daniel Nutkis and Marcella Raneri’s belief in using resources and visibility with purpose, the Foundation supports programs that elevate human stories, strengthen communities and help individuals pursue fuller creative and personal potential. The D&M Emerging Artist Awards are one of the Foundation’s initiatives supporting emerging creative talent through mentorship, visibility and artist-development funding.

About D&M Halloween
D&M Halloween is a recurring, invitation-only Halloween event hosted and made possible by Daniel Nutkis and Marcella Raneri. Each edition centers on a distinctive creative theme, immersive production, hospitality and an elevated costume standard. The 2026 edition, Through the Looking Glass, took place Oct. 31, 2026, at Fashion Industry Gallery in Dallas, inviting guests into an Alice in Wonderland-inspired world shaped by performance, scenic design, installation, music, hospitality and visual storytelling.

About Marcella Raneri
Marcella Raneri is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker and philanthropist whose work brings together movement, fashion, visual storytelling and creative expression. Her dance career has included appearances on So You Think You Can Dance and the Netflix series Dancing Queen. As a choreographer and former studio owner, her work has earned multiple national championship, choreography and top-studio honors. Raneri’s relationship with fashion is rooted in her understanding of how clothing, movement and identity interact.

Raneri is co-founder of the Daniel and Marcella Nutkis Charitable Foundation and founder and chair of the D&M Emerging Artist Awards. Through the Awards, she is helping create opportunities for emerging artists to receive financial support, mentorship, professional production experience and meaningful visibility. Her personal experience in dance informs the program’s commitment to giving artists not simply recognition, but the resources and platform needed to develop their work and advance their careers.

Maleeha Shakoor
The Media Ateliers
+1 470-404-9234
info@dmhalloween.com
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