18th Youth in Film Awards

The 18th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (now known as the Young Artist Awards), presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television, music and radio for the 1995–1996 season, and took place in 1997 in Hollywood, California.

Established in 1978 by long-standing Hollywood Foreign Press Association member, Maureen Dragone, the Youth in Film Association was the first organization to establish an awards ceremony specifically set to recognize and award the contributions of performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television, theatre and music.

Categories
★ Bold indicates the winner in each category.

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actor
★ Lucas Black - Sling Blade
 * Vincent Kartheiser - Alaska
 * Joe Perrino - Sleepers
 * Kyle Howard - House Arrest
 * Kevin Bishop - Muppet Treasure Island

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress
★ Michelle Trachtenberg - Harriet the Spy
 * Mara Wilson - Matilda
 * Thora Birch - Alaska
 * Anna Paquin - Fly Away Home
 * Heather Matarazzo - Welcome to the Dollhouse

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actor
★ Blake Bashoff - Big Bully
 * Gregory Smith - Harriet the Spy
 * Brawley Nolte - Ransom
 * Geoffrey Wigdor - Sleepers
 * Adam Zolotin - Jack

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actress
★ (tie) Vanessa Lee Chester - Harriet the Spy

★ (tie) Claire Danes - To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
 * Jessica Wesson - Flipper
 * Kira Spencer Hesser - Matilda
 * Erin Williby - First Kid

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Actor Age Ten or Under
★ Jonathan Lipnicki - Jerry Maguire
 * Alex D. Linz - One Fine Day
 * Jake Lloyd - Unhook the Stars
 * Haley Joel Osment - Bogus
 * Eric Lloyd, - Dunston Checks In
 * Ross Bagley - Independence Day

Best Performance in a Feature Film: Actress Age Ten or Under
★ Mae Whitman - One Fine Day
 * Ashley Buccille - Phenomenon
 * Siri Howard - Welcome to the Dollhouse
 * Yvonne Zima - The Long Kiss Goodnight

Best Performance in a Foreign Film
★ Andrei Chalimon - Kolya (Czech Republic)
 * Chloe Ferguson - The Quiet Room (Australia)
 * Tiba Tossijn - Long Live the Queen (The Netherlands)
 * Tatjana Trieb - Beyond Silence (Germany)
 * Gregg Fitzgerald - War of the Buttons (Ireland)

Best Performance in a TV Movie / Mini Series: Young Actor
★ Kenny Vadas - Captains Courageous
 * Shelton Dane - Hidden in America
 * Noah Fleiss - Chasing the Dragon
 * Devon Sawa - Night of the Twisters
 * Erik von Detten - Christmas Every Day
 * Tim Redwine - Step Toward Tomorrow

Best Performance in a TV Movie / Mini Series: Young Actress
★ Jena Malone - Bastard Out of Carolina
 * Kimberlee Peterson - Homecoming
 * Rebekah Johnson - Ruby Jean and Joe
 * Julia McIlvaine - The Summer of Ben Tyler
 * Tegan Moss - The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue
 * Allison Jones - Nightjohn

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Young Actor
★ Shawn Toovey - Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
 * David Gallagher - 7th Heaven
 * Ryan Merriman - The Pretender
 * Austin O'Brien - Promised Land
 * George O. Gore II - New York Undercover
 * Darris Love - The Secret World of Alex Mack

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Young Actress
★ Beverley Mitchell - 7th Heaven
 * Lacey Chabert - Party of Five
 * Ashley Peldon - The Pretender
 * Jessica Bowman - Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
 * Sarah Schaub - Promised Land
 * Larisa Oleynik - The Secret World of Alex Mack

Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Leading Young Actor
★ Michael Galeota - Bailey Kipper's P.O.V.
 * Matthew and Andrew Lawrence - Brotherly Love
 * Ben Savage - Boy Meets World

Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Leading Young Actress
★ Melissa Joan Hart - Sabrina the Teenage Witch
 * Brandy Norwood - Moesha
 * Tia and Tamera Mowry - Sister, Sister

Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actor
★ Billy L. Sullivan - Something So Right
 * Zane Carney - Dave's World
 * Shaun Weiss - Mr. Rhodes
 * Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 3rd Rock From the Sun
 * Rider Strong - Boy Meets World

Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actress

 * Kaitlin Cullum - Grace Under Fire
 * Marne Patterson - Something So Right
 * Lindsay Sloane - Mr. Rhodes
 * Alana Austin - Ink
 * Danielle Fishel - Boy Meets World

Best Performance in a TV Comedy/Drama: Supporting Young Actor Age Ten or Under
★ Curtis Williams Jr. - The Parent 'Hood
 * Andrew Ducote - Dave's World
 * Marcus Paulk - Moesha
 * Hayden Tank - The Young and the Restless
 * Eddie Karr - Promised Land
 * Haley Joel Osment - The Jeff Foxworthy Show

Best Performance in a TV Comedy/Drama: Supporting Young Actress Age Ten or Under
★ Ashli Amari Adams - The Parent 'Hood
 * Alexa Vega - Life's Work
 * Mackenzie Rosman - 7th Heaven
 * Brittany Tiplady - Millennium
 * Caitlin Wachs - Profiler

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actor
★ Ben Salisbury - Promised Land
 * Nathan Watt - Chicago Hope
 * Zachary McLemore - Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
 * Elijah Wood - Homicide: Life on the Street
 * Sam Gifaldi - Touched By An Angel
 * Austin O'Brien - ER

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actress
★ Scarlett Pomers - Touched By An Angel
 * Tabitha Lupien - Goosebumps
 * Teru McDonald - Pandora's Clock
 * Kirsten Dunst - ER
 * Francesca Smith - The Secret World of Alex Mack

Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Guest Starring Young Performer
★ (tie) Seth Adkins - Sabrina the Teenage Witch

★  tie) Courtney Peldon - Home Improvement
 * Robin Marie Verner - Sister, Sister
 * Shay Astar - 3rd Rock from the Sun
 * Miles Marsico - Married... with Children
 * Bridget Flanery - Pearl

Best Performance in a Daytime Drama: Young Actor
★ Kyle Sabihy - The Bold and the Beautiful
 * Christian Seifert - As the World Turns
 * Steven Hartman - The Bold and the Beautiful
 * Jonathan Jackson - General Hospital
 * Spencer Treat Clark - Another World

Best Performance in a Daytime Drama: Young Actress
★ Landry Albright - The Bold and the Beautiful
 * Alison Sweeney - Days of Our Lives
 * Erin Torpey - One Life to Live
 * Kimberly McCullough - General Hospital
 * Kimberly Brown - Guiding Light

Best Performance in a Voice-Over: Young Artist
★ Jonathan Taylor Thomas - The Adventures of Pinocchio
 * Paul Terry - James and the Giant Peach
 * Adam Wylie - All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
 * Charity Sanoy - Rugrats

Best Performance in a TV Movie / Home Video: Young Ensemble
★ What Love Sees
 * Trevor O'Brien, Courtland Mead, Ashlee Lauren, Cody McMains


 * Homecoming
 * William Greenblatt, Kimberlee Peterson, Trevor O'Brien, Hanna Hall


 * Clubhouse Detectives
 * Jimmy Galeota, Michael Galeota, Christopher Ball, Alex Miranda, Thomas Hobson


 * Forest Warrior
 * Trenton Knight, Megan Paul, Josh Wolford, Michael Friedman, Jordan Brower

Best Performance in a TV Series: Young Ensemble
★ Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher
 * Ross Malinger, Jonathan Hernandez, Kyle Gibson, Arjay Smith, Cara DeLizia


 * Saved by the Bell: The New Class
 * Lindsey McKeon, Samantha Becker, Sarah Lancaster, Anthony Harrell, Ben Gould, Richard Lee Jackson


 * Second Noah
 * Erika Page, Jeffrey Licon, Gemini Barnett, Jeremy Togerson, Jon Torgerson, Ashley Gorrell, Zelda Harris

Outstanding Host: Television or Radio
★ Lindsay - Radio AAHS
 * R. J. Arnett - Radio AAHS
 * Roland Thomson - World Youth News

Best Male Entertainer
★ Adam Wylie
 * Chris Allport
 * Josh Keaton

Best Female Entertainer
★ Kristi McClave
 * Nassira Nicola
 * Ivyann Schwan

Best Family TV Movie or Mini Series: Network
★ What Love Sees - CBS
 * The Summer of Ben Tyler - CBS
 * A Step Toward Tomorrow - CBS
 * Gulliver's Travels - NBC

Best Family TV Movie or Mini Series: Cable
★ Captains Courageous - Family Channel
 * Nightjohn - The Disney Channel
 * Homecoming - Showtime
 * The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue - Family Channel
 * Christmas Every Day - Family Channel

Best Family TV Drama Series
★ 7th Heaven - WB
 * The Secret World of Alex Mack - Nickelodeon
 * Promised Land - CBS
 * Touched By An Angel - CBS

Best Family TV Comedy Series
★ Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher - WB
 * Sabrina the Teenage Witch - ABC
 * Clueless - ABC
 * Mr. Rhodes - NBC

Best Educational Film or TV Show
★ Nick News - Nickelodeon
 * The Leopard Son - Discovery Pictures
 * Kratt's Creatures - Paragon Entertainment
 * Wishbone - Big Feats Entertainment

Best Family Feature Film: Foreign
★ Kolya - (Czech Republic)
 * Luna e l'altra (Italy)
 * Long Live the Queen (The Netherlands)
 * Beyond Silence (Germany)
 * War of the Buttons (Ireland)
 * The Eighth Day (Belgium)

Best Family Feature Film: Animation or Special Effects
★ James and the Giant Peach - Walt Disney
 * The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Walt Disney
 * Space Jam - Warner Brothers
 * Muppet Treasure Island - Walt Disney
 * All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 - MGM

Best Family Feature Film: Musical or Comedy
★ One Fine Day - 20th Century Fox
 * That Thing You Do - 20th Century Fox
 * 101 Dalmatians - Walt Disney
 * Dunston Checks In - 20th Century Fox
 * Jack - Hollywood Pictures

Best Family Feature Film: Drama
★ Fly Away Home - Columbia Pictures
 * Alaska - Castle Rock
 * Harriet the Spy - Paramount
 * Flipper - Universal
 * Bogus - Warner Brothers

Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Motion Pictures
★ The Reppies - For Best Musical and Inspirational Show for Children

Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Television
★ Dana Lightstone - Producer, Children's Productions

Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award
★ Paul Petersen - The Donna Reed Show

Outstanding Young Performer in a Television Commercial
★ Travis Tedford - Welch's Grape Juice & Jelly

Scholarship Recipients
★ Gabby and Katie Gillette

★ Aimee Walker