The Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer (Actor/Actress) is one of the awards given to people working in the film industry by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA). It has been awarded since the 2nd Critics' Choice Awards to an actor or actress for a performance in any role, lead or supporting, in a film released that year. The award's current criteria requires the performer to be twenty-one years old or younger at the time of filming.
The Best Young Performer award has been presented a total of 33 times, to 31 performers, with Dakota Fanning and Freddie Highmore receiving the award the most, with two wins each. Fanning also holds the distinction of the most-nominated individual in the category, with five. Daniel Radcliffe, with four nominations, is the most-nominated individual without a win. Chloë Grace Moretz, with her two nominations for Kick-Ass and Let Me In (both 2010), is the only person to be nominated twice in the same year. Eight performancesby Abigail Breslin, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Lucas Hedges, Jennifer Lawrence, Haley Joel Osment, Saoirse Ronan, Hailee Steinfeld, and Quvenzhané Wallisnominated in this category are also among the youngest to be recognized with nominations at the Academy Awards, though none of them won Academy Awards for the performances they received nominations for in this category at the Critics' Choice Awards.
The first recipient of the award was Jonathan Lipnicki for his performance in Jerry Maguire (1996); the most recent winner is Miles Caton for his role in Sinners (2025). Lipnicki also remains the youngest nominee and winner in the category at just 6 years old at the time of his recognition, while Paul Dano, who won in Best Young Actor for Little Miss Sunshine (2006), is the eldest and only person over 21 to both be nominated and win.
Winners and nominees The following is a full list of the nominees and winners in this category. Performances that also earned a nomination at the Academy Awards are indicated with an asterisk (*).
1990s
Best Child Performance (1996–2003) Year Performer Character Film 1996 Jonathan Lipnicki Ray Boyd Jerry Maguire 1997 Jurnee Smollett Eve Batiste Eve's Bayou 1998 Ian Michael Smith Simon Birch Simon Birch 1999 Haley Joel Osment* Cole Sear The Sixth Sense
2000s Year Performer Character Film 2000 Jamie Bell Billy Elliot Billy Elliot 2001 Dakota Fanning Lucy Diamond Dawson I Am Sam Haley Joel Osment David A.I. Artificial Intelligence Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 2002 Kieran Culkin Jason "Igby" Slocumb Jr. Igby Goes Down Tyler Hoechlin Michael Sullivan Jr. Road to Perdition Nicholas Hoult Marcus Brewer About a Boy Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2003 Keisha Castle-Hughes* Paikea "Pai" Apirana Whale Rider Emma Bolger Ariel Sullivan In America Sarah Bolger Christy Sullivan Evan Rachel Wood Tracy Freeland Thirteen
Best Young Actor (2004–2007) Year Performer Character Film 2004 Freddie Highmore Peter Llewelyn Davies Finding Neverland Liam Aiken Klaus Baudelaire Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Cameron Bright Young Sean Birth Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban William Ullrich Little Bobby Beyond the Sea 2005 Freddie Highmore Charlie Bucket Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Jesse Eisenberg Walt Berkman The Squid and the Whale Owen Kline Frank Berkman Alex Etel Damian Cunningham Millions Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2006 Paul Dano Dwayne Hoover Little Miss Sunshine Cameron Bright Joey Naylor Thank You for Smoking Joseph Cross Augusten Burroughs Running with Scissors Freddie Highmore Max Skinner A Good Year Jaden Smith Christopher Gardner Jr. The Pursuit of Happyness 2007 Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada Young Hassan The Kite Runner Michael Cera Paulie Bleeker Juno Freddie Highmore Evan Taylor / August Rush August Rush Edward Sanders Tobias "Toby" Ragg Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Young Actress (2004–2007) Year Performer Character Film 2004 Emmy Rossum Christine Daaé The Phantom of the Opera Emily Browning Violet Baudelaire Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Dakota Fanning Lupita "Pita" Ramos Man on Fire Lindsay Lohan Cady Heron Mean Girls Emma Watson Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2005 Dakota Fanning Rachel Ferrier War of the Worlds Flora Cross Eliza Naumann Bee Season Georgie Henley Lucy Pevensie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Q'orianka Kilcher Pocahontas The New World Emma Watson Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2006 Abigail Breslin* Olive Hoover Little Miss Sunshine Ivana Baquero Ofelia Pan's Labyrinth Shareeka Epps Drey Half Nelson Dakota Fanning Fern Arable Charlotte's Web Keke Palmer Akeelah Anderson Akeelah and the Bee 2007 Nikki Blonsky Tracy Turnblad Hairspray Dakota Blue Richards Lyra Belacqua The Golden Compass AnnaSophia Robb Leslie Burke Bridge to Terabithia Saoirse Ronan* Briony Tallis, aged 13 Atonement
Best Young Performer (2008–present) Year Performer Character Film 2008 Dev Patel Jamal Malik Slumdog Millionaire Dakota Fanning Lily Owens The Secret Life of Bees David Kross Young Michael Berg The Reader Brandon Walters Nullah Australia 2009 Saoirse Ronan Susie Salmon The Lovely Bones Jae Head Sean "S.J." Tuohy Jr. The Blind Side Bailee Madison Isabelle Cahill Brothers Max Records Max Where the Wild Things Are Kodi Smit-McPhee Boy The Road
2010s Year Performer Character Film 2010 Hailee Steinfeld* Mattalyn "Mattie" Ross True Grit Elle Fanning Cleo Somewhere Jennifer Lawrence* Ree Dolly Winter's BoneChloë Grace Moretz Mindy Macready / Hit-Girl Kick-Ass Abby Let Me In Kodi Smit-McPhee Owen 2011 Thomas Horn Oskar Schell Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Asa Butterfield Hugo Cabret Hugo Elle Fanning Alice Dainard Super 8 Ezra Miller Kevin Khatchadourian We Need to Talk About Kevin Saoirse Ronan Hanna Heller Hanna Shailene Woodley Alexandra "Alex" King The Descendants 2012 Quvenzhané Wallis* Hushpuppy Beasts of the Southern Wild Elle Fanning Ginger Ginger & Rosa Kara Hayward Suzy Bishop Moonrise Kingdom Tom Holland Lucas Bennett The Impossible Logan Lerman Charlie Kelmeckis The Perks of Being a Wallflower Suraj Sharma Piscine "Pi" Patel Life of Pi 2013 Adèle Exarchopoulos Adèle Blue Is the Warmest Colour Asa Butterfield Andrew "Ender" Wiggin Ender's Game Liam James Duncan The Way Way Back Sophie Nélisse Liesel Meminger The Book Thief Tye Sheridan Ellis Mud 2014 Ellar Coltrane Mason Evans Jr. Boyhood Ansel Elgort Augustus Waters The Fault in Our Stars Mackenzie Foy Murphy "Murph" Cooper Interstellar Jaeden Martell Oliver Bronstein St. Vincent Tony Revolori Zero Moustafa The Grand Budapest Hotel Quvenzhané Wallis Annie Bennett Annie Noah Wiseman Samuel Vanek The Babadook 2015 Jacob Tremblay Jack Newsome Room Abraham Attah Agu Beasts of No Nation RJ Cyler Earl Jackson Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Shameik Moore Malcolm Adekanbi Dope Milo Parker Roger Munro Mr. Holmes 2016 Lucas Hedges* Patrick Chandler Manchester by the Sea Alex R. Hibbert Child Chiron / "Little" Moonlight Lewis MacDougall Conor O'Malley A Monster Calls Madina Nalwanga Phiona Mutesi Queen of Katwe Sunny Pawar Young Saroo Lion Hailee Steinfeld Nadine Franklin The Edge of Seventeen 2017 Brooklynn Prince Moonee The Florida Project Mckenna Grace Mary Adler Gifted Dafne Keen Laura Kinney / X-23 Logan Millicent Simmonds Rose Wonderstruck Jacob Tremblay August "Auggie" Pullman Wonder 2018 Elsie Fisher Kayla Day Eighth Grade Thomasin McKenzie Tom Leave No Trace Ed Oxenbould Joe Brinson Wildlife Millicent Simmonds Regan Abbott A Quiet Place Amandla Stenberg Starr Carter The Hate U Give Sunny Suljic Stevie Mid90s 2019 Roman Griffin Davis Johannes "Jojo" Betzler Jojo Rabbit Julia Butters Trudi Frazer Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Shahadi Wright Joseph Zora Wilson / Umbrae Us Noah Jupe Otis Lort (12) Honey Boy Thomasin McKenzie Elsa Korr Jojo Rabbit Archie Yates Yorki
2020s Year Performer Character Film 2020 Alan Kim David Yi Minari Ryder Allen Sam Burdette Palmer Ibrahima Gueye Momo The Life Ahead Talia Ryder Skylar Never Rarely Sometimes Always Caoilinn Springall Young Iris The Midnight Sky Helena Zengel Johanna Leonberger / Cicada News of the World2021 Jude Hill Buddy Belfast Cooper Hoffman Gary Valentine Licorice Pizza Emilia Jones Ruby Rossi CODA Woody Norman Jesse C'mon C'mon Saniyya Sidney Venus Williams King Richard Rachel Zegler María Vasquez West Side Story 2022 Gabriel LaBelle Samuel "Sammy" Fabelman The Fabelmans Frankie Corio Sophie Paterson Aftersun Jalyn Hall Emmett Till Till Bella Ramsey Catherine / Birdy Catherine Called Birdy Banks Repeta Paul Graff Armageddon Time Sadie Sink Ellie Sarsfield The Whale 2023 Dominic Sessa Angus Tully The Holdovers Abby Ryder Fortson Margaret Simon Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Ariana Greenblatt Sasha Barbie Calah Lane Noodle Wonka Milo Machado-Graner Daniel Maleski Anatomy of a Fall Madeleine Yuna Voyles Alpha-O / Alphie The Creator 2024 Maisy Stella Elliott LaBrant My Old Ass Alyla Browne Young Furiosa Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Elliott Heffernan George Blitz Izaac Wang Chris Wang Dìdi Alisha Weir Abigail Lazaar Abigail Zoe Ziegler Lacy Janet Planet2025 Miles CatonSamuel "Sammie" MooreSinners Everett Blunck Ben The Plague Cary Christopher Alex Lilly Weapons Shannon Mahina Gorman Mia Kawasaki Rental Family Jacobi Jupe Hamnet Shakespeare Hamnet Nina Ye I-Jing Left-Handed Girl
Multiple wins
2 wins Dakota Fanning Freddie Highmore
Multiple nominations
5 nominations Dakota Fanning (2 consecutive)
4 nominations Freddie Highmore (consecutive) Daniel Radcliffe (2x2 consecutive)
3 nominations Elle Fanning (consecutive) Saoirse Ronan
2 nominations Cameron Bright Asa Butterfield Thomasin McKenzie (consecutive) Chloë Grace Moretz (simultaneous) Haley Joel Osment Millicent Simmonds (consecutive) Kodi Smit-McPhee (consecutive) Hailee Steinfeld Jacob Tremblay Quvenzhané Wallis Emma Watson (consecutive)
Notes
References
External links Official website