The AACTA Award for Best Young Actor is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 1991 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Young Actors Award.
The award was first presented in 1991 as "Best Juvenile Performance". It was handed out as a special award from 1991 to 2001, before it became a competitive award from 2002, onwards. Additionally, a cash prize of A$20,000 was given to the winner from 2006 to 2008.
The award is presented at the discretion of the Academy, and is eligible to an actor or actress who is under the age of eighteen. It is given to an individual who has performed in a lead, supporting or guest role of television, feature film and short film categories.
Winners and nominees In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the same year. The performer in bold and in dark blue background have received a special award; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning performer first and then the other nominees.Winners and nominees by year: 1991: 1992: 1993: 1994: 1995: 1996: 1997: 1998: 1999: 2000: 2001: 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011:
AFI Awards (1991–2010)AACTA Awards (2011–present)<br/ >1990s2000s2010s
Year Nominee Program Character(s) Notes AFI Awards 1990s 1991(33rd) Lauren Hewett Act of Necessity Samantha Television film 1992(34th) Alexander Outhred Hammers Over the Anvil Alan Marshall Feature film 1993(35th) Lauren Hewett Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left X Television series 1993(35th) Robert Joamie Map of the Human Heart Young Avik Feature film 1994(36th) Zbych Trofimiuk Sky Trackers Mike Masters Television series 1995(37th) Jamie Croft That Eye, the Sky Morton 'Ort' Flack Feature film 1996(38th) Petra Yared Mirror, Mirror Jo Tiegan Television series 1997(39th) Jeffrey Walker The Wayne Manifesto Wayne Wilson Television series 1998(40th) Paul Pantano Water Rats Max Ryde Television series 1999(41st) Abbie Cornish Wildside Simone Summers Television series 2000s 2000(42nd) Kane McNay Mallboy Shaun Feature film 2000(42nd) Xaris Miller Eugénie Sandler P.I. Eugénie Sandler Television series 2001(43rd) John Sebastian Pilakui Yolngu Boy Lorrpu Feature film 2001(43rd) Joshua Jay All Saints Zac Stockwell Television series 2002(44th) Emily Browning Halifax f.p. Kristy O'Connor Television film 2002(44th) Luke O'Loughlin Escape of the Artful Dodger Dodger Television series 2002(44th) Everlyn Sampi Rabbit-Proof Fence Molly Craig Feature film 2003(45th) Liam Hess Don't Blame the Koalas Greg King Television series 2003(45th) Emily Browning After the Deluge Maddy Television film 2003(45th) Mason Richardson Teesh and Trude Kenny Feature film 2004(46th) Natasha Wanganeen Jessica Mary Simpson Television miniseries 2004(46th) Richard Wilson Out There Miller McKee Television series 2004(46th) Sarah Vongmany Comedy Inc: The Late Shift Sophie Docudrama 2004(46th) Jarryd Jinks Tom White Jet Feature film 2005(47th) Sophie Luck Blue Water High Fiona "Fly" Watson Television series 2005(47th) Maddi Newling Danya Danya Short film 2005(47th) Brittany Byrnes Little Oberon Natasha Green Television film 2005(47th) Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik Three Dollars Various Abby Harnovey 2006(48th) Marny Kennedy Mortified Taylor Fry Television series 2006(48th) Frank Sweet 2:37 Marcus Feature film 2006(48th) Christian Byers Opal Dream Ashmol Williamson Feature film 2006(48th) Mia Wasikowska Suburban Mayhem Lilya Feature film 2007(49th) Kodi Smit-McPhee Romulus, My Father Raimond Feature film 2007(49th) Sean Keenan Lockie Leonard Phillip Television series 2007(49th) Irene Chen The Home Song Stories May Feature film 2007(49th) Joel Lok The Home Song Stories Tom Feature film 2008(50th) Danielle Catanzariti Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger Esther Blueburger Feature film 2008(50th) Saoirse Ronan Death Defying Acts Benji McGarvie Feature film 2008(50th) Clarence John Ryan Sep Paddy Parker Feature film 2008(50th) Tom Green The Ground Beneath Kaden Short film 2009(51st) Marissa Gibson Samson and Delilah Delilah Feature film 2009(51st) Rowan McNamara Samson and Delilah Samson Feature film 2009(51st) Brandon Walters Australia Nullah Feature film 2009(51st) Sebastian Gregory Beautiful Danny Feature film 2009(51st) Tom Russell Last Ride Chook Feature film 2009(51st) Toby Wallace Lucky Country Tom Feature film 2010s 2010(52nd) Harrison Gilbertson Beneath Hill 60 Frank Tiffin Feature film 2010(52nd) Ashleigh Cummings Tomorrow, When the War Began Robyn Mathers Feature film 2010(52nd) Morgana Davies The Tree Simone Feature film 2010(52nd) James Frecheville Animal Kingdom Joshua "J" Cody Feature film AACTA Awards 2011(1st) Lara Robinson Cloudstreet Young Rose Pickles Television miniseries 2011(1st) Olivia DeJonge Good Pretender Ally Short film 2011(1st) Emma Jefferson My Place Johanna Television series 2011(1st) Lucas Yeeda Mad Bastards Bullet Feature film
Notes
A: From 1958 to 2010, the awards were held during the year of the films release. However, the 1974–75 awards were held in 1975 for films released in 1974 and 1975, and the first AACTA Awards were held in 2012 for films released in 2011.
See also AACTA Awards Australian Film Institute
References
External links The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Official website