2nd Youth in Film Awards

The 2nd 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 1979-1980 season, and took place on October 18, 1980, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California, United States.

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 18 in the fields of film, television, theater, and music.

Categories
★ Bold indicates the winner in each category.

Best Young Actor in a Major Motion Picture
★ Justin Henry - Kramer vs. Kramer
 * Christopher Atkins - The Blue Lagoon
 * Matt Dillon - My Bodyguard
 * Paul McCrane - Fame
 * Barry Miller - Fame
 * Ricky Schroder - The Last Flight of Noah's Ark

Best Young Actress in a Major Motion Picture
★ Diane Lane - Touched by Love
 * Jodie Foster - Foxes
 * Kristy McNichol - Little Darlings
 * Brooke Shields - The Blue Lagoon

Best Young Actor - TV Special
★ Michael Sharrett - Harvest - Faith For Today
 * Rossie Harris - Amber Waves - ABC
 * Evan H. Miranda - ABC Afterschool Special: The Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid - ABC
 * Robbie Rist - ABC Weekend Special: The Big Hex of Little Lulu - ABC

Best Young Actress - TV Special
★ Danielle Brisebois - Mom, the Wolfman and Me - Time-Life Television
 * Tonya Crowe - Joshua's World - ABC
 * Kristy McNichol - My Old Man - CBS
 * Melissa Michaelsen - Orphan Train - ABC

Best Young Actor in a Television Series
★ Adam Rich - Eight is Enough - ABC
 * Ira Angustain - The White Shadow - CBS
 * Gary Coleman - Diff'rent Strokes - NBC
 * Philip McKeon - Alice - CBS
 * Harold Pruett - The Tim Conway Show - CBS

Best Young Actress in a Television Series
★ Quinn Cummings - Family - ABC
 * Danielle Brisebois - Archie Bunker's Place - CBS
 * Missy Gold - Benson - ABC
 * Melissa Michaelsen - Me and Maxx - ABC
 * Dana Plato - Diff'rent Strokes - NBC
 * Natasha Ryan - Here's Boomer - NBC

Best Young Actor - Daytime TV Series
★ Philip Tanzini - General Hospital - ABC
 * John E. Dunn - All My Children - ABC
 * Jeremy Schoenberg - Days of Our Lives - NBC

Best Young Actress - Daytime TV Series
★ Genie Francis - General Hospital - ABC
 * Tracey Bregman - Days of Our Lives - NBC
 * Andrea Evans - One Life to Live - ABC
 * Dana Kimmell - Texas - NBC
 * Stacey Moran - Search For Tomorrow - CBS

Best Young Comedian
★ Gary Coleman - Diff'rent Strokes - NBC
 * Scott Baio - Happy Days - ABC
 * Rossie Harris - Airplane! - Paramount
 * Adam Rich - Eight is Enough - ABC

Best Young Comedienne
★ Kim Fields - The Facts of Life - NBC
 * Alison Arngrim - Little House on the Prairie - NBC
 * Valerie Bertinelli - One Day at a Time - CBS
 * Melissa Michaelsen - Me and Maxx - NBC
 * Jill Whelan - Airplane! - Paramount

Best Young Disc Artist - Male
★ Christopher Cross - Ride Like the Wind - W.B.
 * Shaun Cassidy - Wasp - W.B.
 * Leif Garrett - Surfin' USA - Atlantic
 * Paul McCrane - Fame - M.G.M.
 * Rex Smith - You Take My Breath Away - Columbia

Best Young Disc Artist - Female
★ Irene Cara - Fame - M.G.M.
 * Debby Boone - I'll Never Say Goodbye - W.B.
 * Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E.'s In Love - W.B.
 * Dara Sedaka - In The Pocket

Best Major Motion Picture for Family Entertainment
★ Touched by Love - Columbia
 * Little Miss Marker - Universal
 * The Blue Lagoon - Columbia
 * The Last Flight of Noah's Ark - Disney
 * Xanadu - Universal

Best TV Special for Family Entertainment
★ Harvest - Faith for Today
 * Amber Waves - ABC
 * Goldie and the Boxer - NBC
 * The Long Days of Summer - ABC
 * Solid Gold - Channel 13

Best TV Series for Family Entertainment
★ Eight is Enough - ABC
 * Diff'rent Strokes - NBC
 * Here's Boomer - NBC
 * Kids Are People Too - ABC
 * The Muppet Show - ITV

Best After School Television Special
★ NBC Special Treat: A Little Bit Different - NBC
 * ABC Afterschool Special: The Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid - ABC
 * ABC Weekend Special: The Big Hex of Little Lulu - ABC
 * End of a Dream

Best Family Music Album
★ Fame - MGM
 * Foxes - United Artists
 * Can't Stop the Music - Casablanca
 * Xanadu - Universal

Greatest Contribution to Youth Through Entertainment Media
★ Carol Johnston