The Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film is one of the Young Artist Awards presented annually by the Young Artist Association to recognize a young actress under the age of 21, who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the film industry. In its early years, the award was also known as the Youth in Film Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture, as well as by numerous other variations to its title over the years, however, the spirit of the award has remained essentially the same since its inception. Winners are selected by secret ballot of the 125 members of the Young Artist Association as well as former Youth in Film Award/Young Artist Award winners.
History Throughout the past 34 years, accounting for ties, category splits, and repeat winners, the Young Artist Association has presented a total of 44 "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" awards to 40 different actresses. Winners of the award receive the traditional Young Artist Award statuette; a gilded figure of a man displaying a star above its head, reminiscent of a miniature child-sized Oscar. The first recipient was Diane Lane, who was honored at the 1st Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1979) for her performance in A Little Romance. The most recent recipients are Kathryn Newton and Quvenzhané Wallis who tied at the 34th Young Artist Awards for their toles in Paranormal Activity 4 and Beasts of the Southern Wild respectively.
Throughout the history of the award, the "Best Young Actress in a Feature Film" category has been "split" several times. Until the 3rd Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1981), nominations for the "Best Young Actress in a Feature Film" award included all actresses, regardless of whether the performance could be perceived to be in either a leading or supporting role. At the 4th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1982), however, the "Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film" category (not listed on this page) was specifically introduced as a separate award.
In the late 1980s, the category was split for three ceremonies; the 9th Youth In Film Awards ceremony (1987), the 10th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1988), and the 15th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1993). During these three years, the Young Artist Association split the category into a total of four sub-categories; "Best Young Female Superstar in a Motion Picture", "Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama", "Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy", and "Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Horror or Mystery" (all listed on this page). However, the association would once again "merge" these various sub-categories back together after the 15th Youth in Film Awards.
Beginning with the 14th Youth in Film Awards, the association once again split the category, this time creating a new category to recognize young film actresses age 10 and under in their own separate category. The "Best Young Actress Age 10 and Under in a Feature Film" category (not listed on this page) would become a permanent fixture of the Young Artist Awards and, as of 2012, is still awarded annually. Despite the creation of the "10 and Under" category, some "leading" young actresses under the age of 10 have continued to be nominated as "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film".
Superlatives Although today the Young Artist Association has strict age requirements regarding which nominees are eligible for a Young Artist Award nomination, the association did not originally have such specific age restrictions. Today, candidates eligible for a Young Artist Award nomination must be between the ages of 5 and 21 at the time of principal production of the project for which they are nominated. However, the eldest winner of the "Best Young Actress in a Feature Film" award is Lea Thompson, who was 26 years old the night she won for her performance in Some Kind of Wonderful at the 9th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1987). The youngest winner of a "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" award is Robin Weisman, who was 6 years old the night she won for her performance in Three Men and a Little Lady at the 12th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1990).
The following list of superlatives is of winners/nominees in the "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" category. Wins/nominations in other Young Artist Award feature film categories, such as "Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film", "Best Young Actress Age 10 and Under in a Feature Film", and "Best Leading Young Actress in an International Feature Film", are not included.
Superlative winners/nominees are listed alphabetically.
Superlative Actress Wins NominationsActresses with most "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" winsThora Birch 2 wins4 nominationsAnna Chlumsky 2 wins 2 nominationsDakota Fanning 2 wins 5 nominationsDiane Lane 2 wins 3 nominationsActress with most "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" nominations Dakota Fanning 2 wins 5 nominationsActress with most "Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film" nominations(without winning) Christina Ricci 0 wins 4 nominations
Winners and nominees For the first twenty-three ceremonies, due to the numerous "Television" awards also presented by the Young Artist Association, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years to recognize the traditional television season. For example, the 1st Youth in Film Awards, presented in October 1979, recognized performers who appeared on television shows and in feature films that were released between September 1, 1978 and August 31, 1979. Starting with the 24th Young Artist Awards, presented in March 2003, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, similar to the eligibility requirement used by the Academy Awards.
Following the Young Artist Association's practice, the films below are listed by year of their qualifying run, which is the year the film was released in the United States, and not by the date of the ceremony, which has traditionally taken place the following calendar year beginning with the 10th Youth in Film Awards ceremony which recognized performances during the 1987/1988 season and took place in 1989.
1970s Year Actress Film Studio 1978 / 1979(1st)Diane Lane A Little Romance Warner Bros.Trini Alvarado Rich Kids United ArtistsMariel Hemingway Manhattan United ArtistsPatsy Kensit Hanover Street Columbia PicturesBrooke Shields Just You and Me, Kid Columbia PicturesCindy Smith Benji's Very Own Christmas Story Mulberry Square Productions
1980s Year Actress Film Studio 1979 / 1980(2nd) Diane Lane Touched by Love Sony PicturesJodie Foster Foxes United ArtistsKristy McNichol Little Darlings Paramount PicturesBrooke Shields The Blue Lagoon Columbia Pictures 1980 / 1981(3rd) Kristy McNichol Only When I Laugh Columbia PicturesMelissa Sue Anderson Happy Birthday to Me Columbia PicturesShelby Balik The Incredible Shrinking Woman Universal StudiosMara Hobel Mommie Dearest Paramount PicturesKyle Richards The Watcher in the Woods Walt Disney PicturesBrooke Shields Endless Love Columbia Pictures 1981 / 1982(4th) Aileen Quinn Annie Columbia PicturesBridgette Andersen Savannah Smiles Embassy PicturesMichelle Pfeiffer Grease 2 Paramount Pictures 1982 / 1983(5th) Roxana Zal Table for Five Warner Bros.Katherine Healy Six Weeks Universal PicturesDiane Lane Rumble Fish Universal PicturesAlly Sheedy WarGames Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1983 / 1984(6th) Molly Ringwald Sixteen Candles Universal PicturesDrew Barrymore Irreconcilable Differences Warner Bros.Alison Eastwood Tightrope Warner Bros.Christina Nigra Cloak & Dagger Universal PicturesRoxana Zal Testament Paramount Pictures 1984 / 1985(7th) Meredith Salenger The Journey of Natty Gann Walt Disney PicturesFairuza Balk Return to Oz Walt Disney PicturesDrew Barrymore Cat's Eye MGM/UAJoyce Hyser Just One of the Guys Columbia PicturesAmanda Peterson Explorers Paramount Pictures 1985 / 1986(8th) Laura Jacoby Rad TriStar PicturesLucy Deakins The Boy Who Could Fly 20th Century FoxKerri Green Lucas 20th Century FoxMelora Hardin Papa Was a Preacher LaRose ProductionsElisabeth Harnois One Magic Christmas Walt Disney PicturesRobyn Lively Wildcats Warner Bros.Alyssa Milano Commando 20th Century FoxHeather O'Rourke Poltergeist II: The Other Side Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1986 / 1987(9th) Superstar: Lisa Bonet Angel Heart TriStar PicturesMartha Plimpton The Mosquito Coast Warner Bros.Kristy Swanson Deadly Friend Warner Bros. Drama: Lea Thompson Some Kind of Wonderful Paramount PicturesJ. L. Reate The Golden Child Paramount PicturesIone Skye River's Edge Hemdale/Island Pictures Comedy: Maia Brewton Adventures in Babysitting Buena Vista/Touchstone PicturesTina Caspary Can't Buy Me Love Touchstone PicturesMargaret Langrick Harry and the Hendersons Universal StudiosAmanda Peterson Can't Buy Me Love Touchstone Pictures Horror: Christa Denton The Gate Alliance EntertainmentCarrie Lorraine Dolls Empire PicturesJill Schoelen The Stepfather New Century Vista Film Company 1987 / 1988(10th) Drama: Hayley Taylor-Block Touch of a Stranger Raven StarAnnabeth Gish Mystic Pizza The Samuel Goldwyn CompanyLaura Jane Goodwin Crystalstone Moviestore EntertainmentMarcie Leeds Beaches Touchstone PicturesMindy McEnnan World Gone Wild Apollo PicturesMartha Plimpton Running on Empty Warner Bros.Julia Roberts Mystic Pizza The Samuel Goldwyn CompanyMeredith Salenger A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon 20th Century Fox Comedy/Fantasy: Mayim Bialik Beaches Touchstone PicturesTina Caspary Mac and Me Orion PicturesAngela Goethals Heartbreak Hotel Touchstone PicturesHeather Graham License to Drive 20th Century FoxAlyson Hannigan My Stepmother Is an Alien Columbia PicturesLauren Stanley Mac and Me Orion Pictures Horror/Mystery: Kristy Swanson Flowers in the Attic New World PicturesJennifer Banko Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood Paramount PicturesPaula Irvine Phantasm II Universal StudiosMarcie Leeds Near Dark Anchor Bay EntertainmentEbonie Smith Lethal Weapon Warner Bros.Shawnee Smith The Blob TriStar PicturesBrooke Theiss A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master New Line Cinema 1988 / 1989(11th) Winona Ryder Great Balls of Fire! Orion PicturesBlaze Berdahl Pet Sematary Paramount PicturesRebecca Harrell Prancer Orion PicturesJenny Lewis The Wizard Universal StudiosRobyn Lively Teen Witch Metro-Goldwyn-MayerSarah Polley The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Columbia Pictures
1990s