The YoungStar Awards, presented by The Hollywood Reporter, honored young American actors and actresses from ages 6–18 in their work in film, television, stage and music. Winners were chosen via a poll of 3,500 entertainment industry insiders who read The Hollywood Reporter. The awards ceremony was held from 1995 until 2000; there was no ceremony in 1996.
First Annual YoungStar Awards
The First Annual YoungStar Awards were held in 1995.
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy Film
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Roger Bomman, Angels in the Outfield - Won Joaquin Phoenix as Jimmy Emmett, To Die For Macaulay Culkin as Richie, Richie Rich Thomas Ian Nicholas as Calvin Fuller, A Kid in King Arthur's Court Eric Lloyd as Charlie, The Santa Clause
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy film
Christina Ricci as Kat, Casper- Won Alicia Silverstone as Cher, Clueless Reese Witherspoon as Wendy, S.F.W. Brittany Ashton Holmes as Darla, The Little Rascals Eliza Dushku as Emma, Bye Bye Love
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film
Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, Interview with the Vampire -Won Natalie Portman as Matilda, Leon (1994 film) Liesel Pritzker Simmons as Sara, A Little Princess (1995 film) Angelina Jolie as Kate, Hackers (film) Kate Winslet as Juliet, Heavenly Creatures
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama Film
Brad Renfro as Erick, The Cure - Won Elijah Wood as Stu Simmons, The War Mark-Paul Gosselaar as D.J., Twisted Love (1995) Leonardo DiCaprio as Jimmy Carrol, The Basketball Diaries (film) Joseph Mazzello as Roarke, The River Wild
Best Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series
Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Randy Taylor, Home Improvement - Won Benjamin Salisbury as Brighton Sheffield, The Nanny Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Saved by the Bell: The College Years Joey Lawrence as Joey Russo, Blossom (American TV series) Rider Strong as Eric Matthews, Boy Meets World
Best Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series
Madeline Zima as Grace Sheffield, The Nanny - Won Nicholle Tom as Maggie Sheffield, The Nanny Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, Blossom (American TV series) Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa, Clarissa Explains It All Jodie Sweetin as Stephanie, Full House
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Series Joey Zimmerman as Ulysses Adair, Earth 2 (TV series)- Won Adam Wylie as Zachary, Picket Fences Breckin Meyer as Mike, The Home Court Devon Gummersall as Brian, My So-Called Life Merlin Santana as Marcus, Under One Roof (1995 TV series)
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama TV Series
Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger, Party of Five- Won J. Madison Wright Morris as True, Earth 2 (TV series) Vinessa Shaw as Cassidy, McKenna (TV series) Lisa Wilhoit as Danielle, My So-Called Life Haylie Johnson as Becky, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Miniseries/Made-for-TV Movie Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Matt Cunningham, The Great Elephant Escape - Won Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Ryan Phillippe as Tom Readman, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare Jonathan Brandis as Prince Wenceslas, Good King Wenceslas
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Miniseries/Made-for-TV Movie Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas - Won Hilary Swank as Patty, Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story Mara Wilson as Barbara, A Time to Heal (film) Kellie Martin as Angela Delvecchio, Death of a Cheerleader Elisabeth Moss as Anna, Escape to Witch Mountain (1995 film)
Best Young Ensemble Cast - Television Saved by the Bell: The College Years Cast - Won Boy Meets World Cast Full House Cast Home Improvement (TV series) Cast The Nanny Cast
Best Young Voice Over Talent Christian Bale as Thomas, Pocahontas (1995 film) - Won Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Simba, The Lion King John Morris (voice actor) as Andy, Toy Story Benjamin Diskin as Junior, Problem Child (TV series) Bradley Pierce as Miles 'Tails' Prower, Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Second Annual YoungStar Awards
The Second Annual YoungStar Awards were held in 1997.
Winners are in bold.
Best Young Actor in a Comedy Film Alex D. Linz as Sammy, One Fine Day Brad Renfro as Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, Tom and Huck Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Thomas "Tom" Sawyer, Tom and Huck Elijah Wood as Sandy Ricks, Flipper Adam Zolotin as Louie Durante, Jack
Best Young Actress in a Comedy Film Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood, Matilda Rachael Leigh Cook as Becky Thatcher, Tom and Huck Gaby Hoffmann as Lane Dandridge, Everyone Says I Love You Natalie Portman as Laura Dandridge, Everyone Says I Love You Mae Whitman as Maggie Taylor, One Fine Day
Best Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tommy Solomon, 3rd Rock from the Sun Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Roseanne Marcus T. Paulk as Myles Mitchell, Moesha Benjamin Salisbury as Brighton Sheffield, The Nanny Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Randy Taylor, Home Improvement
Best Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series Tatyana Ali as Ashley Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Kaitlin Cullum as Libby, Grace Under Fire Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, Moesha Madeline Zima as Grace Sheffield, The Nanny
Best Young Actor in a Drama Film Lucas Black as Frank Wheatley, Sling Blade Jonathan Lipnicki as Ray Boyd, Jerry Maguire Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Oliver Laird, The Juror Joseph Perrino as Young Lorenzo "Shakes" Carcaterra, Sleepers Brad Renfro as Young Michael Sullivan, Sleepers
Best Young Actress in a Drama Film Claire Danes as Juliet, Romeo + Juliet Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly as Tonya Hailey, A Time to Kill Anna Paquin as Amy Alden, Fly Away Home Natalie Portman as Lauren Gustafson, Heat Liv Tyler as Lucy Harmon, Stealing Beauty
Best Young Actor in a Drama TV Series Adam Wylie as Zach, Picket Fences Lucas Black as Caleb Temple, American Gothic David Gallagher as Simon Camden, 7th Heaven Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Ryan Merriman as Young Jarod, The Pretender Michael Yarmush as Arthur Read, Arthur (TV series)
Best Young Actress in a Drama TV Series Lacey Chabert as Claudia, Party of Five Jessica Bowman as Colleen Cooper, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Kirsten Dunst as Charlie Chiemingo, ER Ashley Johnson as Katherine 'Kate' Moloney, Moloney Jennifer Love Hewitt as Sarah Reeves Merrin, Party of Five
Best Young Actor in a Daytime TV Program Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer, General Hospital Justin Cooper as Lucas Jones, General Hospital Steven Hartman as Rick Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful Tommy J. Michaels as Tim Dillon, All My Children Nicholas Pappone as Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless
Best Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program Kimberly McCullough as Robin Scorpio, General Hospital Kimberly J. Brown as Marah Lewis, Guiding Light Gina Gallagher as Bianca Montgomery, All My Children Erin Torpey as Jessica Buchanan, One Life to Live Ashley Williams as Danielle Andropoulos, As the World Turns
Best Young Actor in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Film Haley Joel Osment as Davis, Last Stand at Saber River Fred Savage as Bobby Tennison, No One Would Tell (1996 film) Bug Hall as Eddie Munster, The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Scott, She Cried No Ryan Reynolds as Bobby Rupp, In Cold Blood (miniseries) Erik von Detten as Billy Jackson, Christmas Every Day
Best Young Actress in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Film Kirsten Dunst as Sara, The Siege at Ruby Ridge Hedy Burress as Linda Barrows, If These Walls Could Talk Ashley Johnson as Annie Warbucks, Annie: A Royal Adventure! Jena Malone as Ruth Anne 'Bone' Boatwright, Bastard Out of Carolina Candace Cameron Bure as Melissa Connell, She Cried No Nicholle Tom as Amy Dustin, For My Daughter's Honor
Best Young Actor in a Saturday Morning TV Program Luke Tarsitano as Fudge, Fudge Michael Galeota as Bailey Kipper, Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. Ben Gould as Nicky Farina, Saved by the Bell: The New Class Richard Lee Jackson as Ryan Parker, Saved by the Bell: The New Class Kyle Labine as Evan Ross, Goosebumps
Best Young Actress in a Saturday Morning TV Program Megan Parlen as Mary Beth Pepperton, Hang Time Samantha Esteban as Maria, Saved by the Bell: The New Class Shannon Chandler as Josephine "Jo" McCormick, Big Bad Beetleborgs Sarah Lancaster as Rachel Meyers, Saved by the Bell: The New Class Elizabeth Lund as Heather, Big Bad Beetleborgs
Best Young Recording Artist LeAnn Rimes, Blue
Third Annual YoungStar Awards
The Third Annual YoungStar Awards were held on November 8, 1998 at Universal Studios. The awards were hosted by Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Winners are in bold.
Best Young Actor in a Comedy Film Cameron Finley as Beaver, Leave it to Beaver Jesse James as Spencer, As Good as It Gets Alex D. Linz as Alex Pruitt, Home Alone 3 Gregory Smith as Alan, Small Soldiers Kevin Zegers as Josh, Air Bud
Best Young Actress in a Comedy Film Hallie Eisenberg as Marie, Paulie Hatty Jones as Madeline, Madeline Lindsay Lohan as Hallie & Ann, The Parent Trap Christina Ricci as Dede Truitt, The Opposite of Sex Mara Wilson as Anabel, A Simple Wish
Best Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tommy Solomon, 3rd Rock from the Sun Brandon Hammond as Matty, The Gregory Hines Show Jonathan Lipnicki as Alex, Meego Tahj Mowry as T.J. Henderson, Smart Guy Ben Savage as Cory Matthews, Boy Meets World Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Randy Taylor, Home Improvement
Best Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series Kaitlin Cullum as Libby, Grace Under Fire Danielle Fishel as Topanga Lawrence, Boy Meets World Larisa Oleynik as Alex, The Secret World of Alex Mack Madylin Sweeten as Ally, Everybody Loves Raymond Emily Mae Young as Lilly, Step by Step
Best Young Actor in a Drama Film Cameron Finley as Travis, Hope Floats Brandon Hammond as Ahmad Chadway, Soul Food Eamonn Owens as Francie, The Butcher Boy Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk as Dalai Lama, Seven Years in Tibet Elijah Wood as Leo, Deep Impact
Best Young Actress in a Drama Film Meagan Good as Cisely Batiste, Eve's Bayou Scarlett Johansson as Grace, The Horse Whisperer Christina Ricci as Wendy, The Ice Storm Jurnee Smollett as Eve Batiste, Eve's Bayou Mae Whitman as Bernice, Hope Floats
Best Young Actor in a Drama TV Series Andrew and Steven Cavarno as Owen, Party of Five David Gallagher as Simon Camden, 7th Heaven George O. Gore II as Gregory "G" Williams, New York Undercover Ross Malinger as Roland, Party of Five Austin O'Brien as Joshua Greene, Promised Land Michael Yarmush as Eric, My Life as a Dog
Best Young Actress in a Drama TV Series Jessica Biel as Mary Camden, 7th Heaven Lacey Chabert as Claudia, Party of Five Erika Christensen as Romy, Nothing Sacred Beverley Mitchell as Lucy Camden, 7th Heaven Caitlin Wachs as Chloe, Profiler Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley, Dawson's Creek
Best Young Actor in a Daytime TV Program Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer, General Hospital Sean Marquette as Jamie Martin, All My Children Nicholas Pappone as Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless Tyrone Savage as young Isaac Newton, The Inventor Specials: Newton Jeffery Wood as Jimmy Harrison, Sunset Beach
Best Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program Jessica Alba as Maya Graham, Flipper Camryn Grimes as Cassie Newman, The Young and the Restless Alexas Manta as Amanda, As the World Turns Robyn Richards as Maxie Jones, General Hospital Erin Torpey as Jessica Buchanan, One Life to Live
Best Young Actor in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Film Seth Adkins as Robbie, ...First Do No Harm Zachery Ty Bryan as John Scaduto, Principal Takes a Holiday Matthew Lawrence as Jesse, Angels in the Endzone