Lydia Cornett, an MFA student in the Department of Art, was recognized as a 2021 Princess Grace Honoraria in the film category by the Princess Grace Foundation, which works to uphold the legacy of Grace Kelly by elevating emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants. 

Cornett, a former musician turned filmmaker, unites the restraint of observational storytelling with the physicality and connection of music in her work. Her films have screened at BAMCinemaFest, Sheffield DocFest, AFI Docs, AspenShortsFest, Hamptons International Film Festival, and DOC NYC, and they have been acquired by The New Yorker, PBS Reel South, Nowness, NoBudge and Vimeo Staff Picks.