Johnny Nelson Wins Inaugural David Yurman GEM Grant, $50,000 Plus Mentoring

Johnny Nelson has been named the inaugural winner of the David Yurman GEM Awards Grant and will receive a one-time $50,000 award along with mentoring meetings with David Yurman executives and consultative meetings with other industry leaders. Nelson will be honored on stage at the 24th annual GEM Awards on March 13, 2026, in New York.

The grant was created in partnership with Jewelers of America and David Yurman Enterprises LLC to support and foster an emerging fine jewelry designer who has been in business. Ninety submissions were received during the nomination period, and Nelson prevailed after an in-person presentation to David and Sybil Yurman and the grant committee.

Finalists named in the competition included Hiba Husayni of Zahn-Z, Jules Kim of Bijules, Dorian Webb, and Lorraine West. The GEM Awards Grant Committee roster that reviewed candidates includes David Yurman, Sybil Yurman, Marion Fasel, Sam Broekema, Annie Doresca, Jennifer Gandia, Amanda Gizzi, Lauren Harwell Godfrey, and Jill Newman.

Gem Awards chair Marion Fasel highlighted Nelson’s exhibition and collaboration history and praised his presentation to the committee. “Johnny Nelson has been charting his own course in the jewelry world from the moment he became a designer. His work has been displayed in museum exhibitions, such as the landmark ‘Ice Cold’ at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and participated in some impressive collaborations with major brands such as Adidas,” Fasel said. “His presentation had a wonderful combination of sharing his past achievements and a specificity of areas for potential growth he could achieve with additional funding, mentoring, and recognition. We are all thrilled he is our inaugural grant winner.”

Nelson issued a statement reflecting on the honor and the mentorship component of the award. “I am blessed, honored, and grateful,” Nelson said in a statement. “To be recognized by David and Sybil Yurman, along with the esteemed Gem Awards committee—leaders who have helped shape the landscape of American fine jewelry—is profoundly meaningful.

“This award affirms my commitment to amplifying culture and legacy through craftsmanship, art, and design. I am excited for the doors this grant will open for Johnny Nelson Jewelry and for the invaluable mentorship opportunities with David Yurman and team, whom I greatly respect and admire.”

Nelson’s eponymous New York City–based brand is known for handcrafted sculptural and figurative rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, many with motifs from African American history and culture rendered in sterling silver, 14k and 18k gold, sandstone, and other materials. His biography notes that what began as a single ring made by his mother evolved into a body of work inspired by punk, hip-hop, and spirituality that emphasizes bold statement pieces.

The grant package explicitly pairs cash with consultative programming: mentoring meetings with David Yurman executives and consultative meetings with other industry leaders aimed at helping a designer scale. Nelson’s award will be publicly presented at the GEM Awards ceremony on March 13, closing the selection cycle that began with the 90 submissions and the committee’s in-person deliberations.