1st Youth in Film Awards

The 1st Youth in Film Awards ceremony (now known as the Young Artist Awards), presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers in the fields of film, television and music for the 1978–1979 season, and took place in October 1979 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, 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, theater and music.

Although the Youth in Film Awards were conceived as a way to primarily recognize youth performers under the age of 18, the eldest winner in a competitive category at the 1st annual ceremony was Dennis Christopher who was 23 years old on the night he won as Best Juvenile Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in Breaking Away.

Categories
★ Bold indicates the winner in each category.

Best Juvenile Actor in A Motion Picture
★ Dennis Christopher – Breaking Away – 20th Century Fox
 * Thelonious Bernard – A Little Romance – Warner Bros
 * Panchito Gomez – Walk Proud – Universal
 * Jeremy Levy – Rich Kids – United Artists
 * Ricky Schroder – The Champ – MGM

Best Juvenile Actress in A Motion Picture
★ Diane Lane – A Little Romance – Warner Bros
 * Trini Alvarado – Rich Kids – United Artists
 * Mariel Hemingway – Manhattan – United Artists
 * Patsy Kensit – Hanover Street – Columbia
 * Brooke Shields – Just You and Me, Kid – Columbia
 * Cindy Smith – Benji's Very Own Christmas Story – Mulberry Square

Best Juvenile Actor in A TV Series or Special
★ Adam Rich – Eight is Enough – ABC
 * Willie Aames – Eight is Enough – ABC
 * Shaun Cassidy – Like Normal People – ABC
 * Gary Coleman – Diff'rent Strokes – NBC
 * Noah Hathaway – Battlestar Galactica – Universal

Best Juvenile Actress in a TV Series or Special
★ Charlene Tilton – Dallas (Royal Marriage segment) – CBS
 * Danielle Brisebois – All in the Family – CBS
 * Quinn Cummings – Family – ABC
 * Melissa Gilbert – Little House on the Prairie – NBC
 * Kristy McNichol – Family – ABC

Best Juvenile Actor in A Daytime Series
★ Meegan King – Days of Our Lives – NBC
 * Shawn Campbell – The Doctors – NBC
 * Mikey Martin – Days of Our Lives – NBC

Best Juvenile Actress in A Daytime Series
★ Tracey Bregman – Days of Our Lives – NBC
 * Genie Francis – General Hospital – ABC
 * Natasha Ryan – Days of Our Lives – NBC

Best Juvenile Musical Recording Artist – Male
★ Michael Jackson – Off the Wall – Epic
 * Shaun Cassidy – Room Service – Warner Bros.
 * Jimmy Osmond (with The Osmonds) – Steppin' Out – Mercury

Best Juvenile Musical Recording Artist – Female
★ Evelyn "Champagne" King – Shame – RCA
 * Marie Osmond (with The Osmonds) – Steppin' Out – Mercury

Best Motion Picture Featuring Youth
★ A Little Romance – WB
 * Breaking Away – 20th Century Fox
 * The Champ – MGM
 * Nutcracker Fantasy – Sanrio Communications
 * The Muppet Movie – Marble Arch

Best TV Series or Special Featuring Youth
★ Eight is Enough – ABC
 * Benji's Very Own Christmas Story – Mulberry Square
 * Diff'rent Strokes – NBC
 * Little House on the Prairie – NBC
 * The Waltons – CBS

Best Musical Entertainment Featuring Youth – TV or Motion Picture
★ Nutcracker Fantasy – Sanrio Communications
 * Hair – United Artists
 * Sha Na Na – NBC
 * Sleeping Beauty 1979 re-release – Disney
 * The Muppet Movie – Marble Arch

Best Juvenile Comedian
★ Gary Coleman – Diff'rent Strokes – NBC

Best Juvenile Actress in a Motion Picture
★ Diane Lane – A Little Romance – WB

Best Juvenile Actor in a Motion Picture
★ Thelonious Bernard – A Little Romance – WB

Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award
★ Jane Withers