20th Youth in Film Awards
The 20th Youth in Film Awards ceremony, presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film and television for the 1997–1998 season, and took place on March 6, 1999, at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California. The hosts for the ceremony that evening were Jena Malone, R.J. Arnett, Roland Thomson, Justin Thomsom, Selwyn Ward and Tracy Lynn Cruz.
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.
Categories
★ Bold indicates the winner in each category.Best Young Performer in a Feature Film
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actor
Miko Hughes – Mercury Rising – Universal- Michael Caloz – Little Men – Warner Bros.
- Joseph Cross – Wide Awake – Miramax
- Kieran Culkin – The Mighty – Miramax
- Kyle Gibson – True Friends – 2nd Generation Films
- Joseph Mazzello – Simon Birch – Hollywood Pictures
- Eamonn Owens – The Butcher Boy – Warner Bros.
- Ian Michael Smith – Simon Birch – Hollywood Pictures
- Gregory Smith – Small Soldiers – DreamWorks
- Kevin Zegers – – Keystone Entertainment
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress
★ Jena Malone – Stepmom – Columbia Pictures
- Kirsten Dunst – Small Soldiers – DreamWorks
- Jennifer Love Hewitt – Can't Hardly Wait – Columbia Pictures
- Scarlett Johansson – The Horse Whisperer – Touchstone Pictures
- Emily Lipoma – Frog and Wombat – Pigtail Productions
- Leelee Sobieski – A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries – October Films
- Katie Stuart – Frog and Wombat – Pigtail Productions
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actor
- Bryan Burke –
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actress
★ Brigid Tierney – Affliction – Lions Gate Films- Camilla Belle – Practical Magic – Warner Bros.
- Lacey Chabert – Lost in Space – New Line Cinema
- Auriol Evans – Hilary and Jackie – October Films
- Keeley Flanders – Hilary and Jackie – October Films
- Kyla Pratt – Dr. Dolittle – 20th Century Fox
- Michelle Williams – – Miramax
- Evan Rachel Wood – Practical Magic – Warner Bros.
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Young Actor Age Ten or Under
- Cameron Finley – Hope Floats – 20th Century Fox
- Jason Fuchs – Mafia! – Touchstone
- Darrell Johnston – Dancing at Lughnasa – Sony
- Robby Seager – Splitsville – Cineville Productions
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Young Actress Age Ten or Under
- Rachel Chamberlain – Faith – Alynne Entertainment
- Alana De Roma – Amy – Cascade Films
- Hallie Kate Eisenberg – Paulie – DreamWorks
- Kulani Hassen – Down in the Delta – Miramax
- Hatty Jones – Madeline – Tristar
Best Young Performer in a TV Movie, Pilot or Mini-Series
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series: Leading Young Actor
★ Ryan Merriman – Everything That Rises – TNT- Carlo Alban – Thicker Than Blood – TNT
- Brendan Ryan Barrett – Logan's War: Bound By Honor – ABC
- Trevor Blumas – Stranger in Town – Showtime
- Jordan Kiziuk – The Island on Bird Street – Showtime
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series: Leading Young Actress
- Kimberly J. Brown – Halloweentown – Disney Channel
- Kristin Fairlie – The Sweetest Gift – Showtime
- Kashmir Jones – World Upon Her Shoulder – Lifetime
- Brittany Murphy – David and Lisa – ABC
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series: Supporting Young Actor
- Cody Jones – Running Wild – Showtime
- Eric Lloyd – Chameleon – UPN
- Shawn Pyfrom – A Wing and a Prayer – USA Network
- Kenny Vadas – Galileo – Family Channel
- Daniel Williams – Always Outnumbered – HBO
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series: Supporting Young Actress
- – – Independent Feature / Project West
- Brooke Nevin – Running Wild – Showtime
Best Young Performer in a Television Series
Best Performance in a TV Drama or Comedy Series: Leading Young Actor
★ Zachery Ty Bryan – Home Improvement – ABC- Thomas Dekker – – Disney
- David Lago – Hollywood Safari – Animal Planet Channel
- Robert Ri'chard – Cousin Skeeter – Nickelodeon
- Taran Noah Smith – Home Improvement – ABC
- Shawn Toovey – Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman – CBS
- Lee Thompson Young – The Famous Jett Jackson – The Disney Channel
Best Performance in a TV Drama or Comedy Series: Leading Young Actress
- Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy the Vampire Slayer – FOX
- Brandy Norwood – Moesha – UPN
- Larisa Oleynik – The Secret World of Alex Mack – Nickelodeon
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Supporting Young Actor
- Joseph Ashton – L.A. Doctors – CBS
- Corey Sevier – Little Men – PAX
- Myles Jeffrey – Early Edition – CBS
- Trevor Morgan – ER – NBC
- Shane Sweet – The Journey of Allen Strange – Nickelodeon
- Oren Williams – Chicago Hope – CBS
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Supporting Young Actress
- & –
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young Actor
★ Eric Lloyd – Jesse – NBC- Justin Berfield – Unhappily Ever After – UPN
- Justin Cooper – Brother's Keeper – ABC
- Dee Jay Daniels – The Hughleys – ABC
- Trevor Einhorn – Brother's Keeper – ABC
- Maestro Harrell – Guys Like Us – UPN
- Deon Richmond – Sister, Sister – WB
- – Oh Baby – Lifetime
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young Actress
- Kaitlin Cullum – Grace Under Fire – ABC
- Brittany & Brianna McConnell – Maggie Winters – CBS
- – Guys Like Us – UPN
- – Brother's Keeper – ABC
- Madylin Sweeten – Everybody Loves Raymond – CBS
- Karle Warren – DiResta – UPN
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actor
- Jeremy Foley – Touched by an Angel – CBS
- Craig Hauer – 7th Heaven – WB
- Zack Hopkins – Promised Land – CBS
- Nathan Lawrence – Touched by an Angel – CBS
- Joey Pardon – High Incident – ABC
- Billie Thomas – The Practice – ABC
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actress
- Camilla Belle – Walker, Texas Ranger – CBS
- Kimberly Cullum – Nothing Sacred – ABC
- Olivia Marisco – Hyperion Bay – WB
- Ashley Peldon – The Pretender – ABC
- Nicholle Tom – Welcome to Paradox – Sci-Fi Channel
- Danielle Wiener – Beverly Hills, 90210 – FOX
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Actor
★ Bobby Brewer – Suddenly Susan – NBC
★ Bobby Edner – Step By Step – CBS
★ Sam Gifaldi – Suddenly Susan – NBC
★ Jarrett Lennon – Boy Meets World – ABC
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Guest Starring Young Actress
★ Anna Chlumsky – Cupid – ABC★ Ashley & Lindsey Trefger – Home Improvement – ABC
- Courtney Peldon – Home Improvement – ABC
- Caitlin Wachs – To Have & to Hold – CBS
Best Young Performer in a TV Daytime Series
Best Performance in a Daytime Serial: Young Performer
★ Adrienne Frantz – The Bold and the Beautiful – CBS- Kimberly J. Brown – Guiding Light – CBS
- Ashley Monique Clark – Sunset Beach – NBC
- Camryn Grimes – The Young and the Restless – CBS
- Steven Hartman – The Young and the Restless – CBS
- Jonathan Jackson – General Hospital – ABC
- Logan O'Brien – General Hospital – ABC
- Carly Schroeder – Port Charles – CBS
Best Young Performer Age 10 or Under
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series / Series: Young Actor Age Ten or Under
★ Paul Robert Langdon – The Spiral Staircase – CBS★ Connor Matheus – The Hughleys – ABC
- Brent Meyer – The Sweetest Gift – Showtime
- – – Independent Feature / Project West
- Jacob Smith – Party of Five – FOX
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series / Series: Young Actress Age Ten or Under
- Hilary Duff – Casper Meets Wendy – FOX Channel
- Britt McKillip – In the Dog House – Showtime
- Carly McKillip – Stranger in Town – Showtime
- Dara Perlmutter – Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story – USA
Best Young Performer in a Voice-Over
Best Performance in a Voice-Over in a Feature or TV: Best Young Actor
★ Courtland Mead – Recess – ABC- Jonathan Taylor Thomas – The Adventures of Pinocchio – New Line Cinema
- Miko Hughes – The Rugrats Movie – Paramount
- Myles Jeffrey – ' – Universal
- Mathew Valencia – The New Batman/Superman Adventures – WB
- Phillip Van Dyke – Hey Arnold! – Nickelodeon
- Michael Yarmush – Arthur – PBS
Best Performance in a Voice-Over in a Feature or TV: Best Young Actress
- Ashley Johnson – Recess – ABC
- Julia McIlvaine – KaBlam! – Nickelodeon
- Hayden Panettiere – A Bug's Life – Walt Disney
- Sabrina Wiener – The Wild Thornberrys – Nickelodeon
Best Young Ensemble Performance
Best Performance in a Feature Film: Young Ensemble
★ Slappy and the Stinkers – Columbia- – Tristar
- The Borrowers – Polygram
Best Performance in a TV Movie / Pilot / Made-for-Video: Young Ensemble
- Ruby Bridges – ABC
- The Echo of Thunder – CBS
- Bus 9 – Nickelodeon
Best Performance in a TV Series: Young Ensemble
- 7th Heaven – WB
- That '70s Show – FOX
- Hiller and Diller – ABC
Best Family Entertainment
Best Family TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series
★ Sabrina Goes to Rome – ABC- The Sweetest Gift – Showtime
- In the Dog House – Showtime
- The Echo of Thunder – CBS
- Nicholas' Gift – CBS
- Merlin – NBC
- Everything that Rises – TNT
Best Family TV Drama Series
- Touched by an Angel – CBS
- 7th Heaven – Warner Bros.
- The Journey of Allen Strange – Nickelodeon
- Little Men – PAX
Best Family TV Comedy Series
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch – ABC
- Two of a Kind – ABC
- Smart Guy – Warner Bros.
- Flipper: The New Adventures – PAX
Best Educational TV Show or Series
- Wishbone – PBS
- Bear in the Big Blue House – Disney Channel
- Blue's Clues – Nickelodeon
- Wild About Animals – ABC
Best Family Feature Film: Animated
- A Bug's Life – Walt Disney Pictures
- ' – Universal
- Mulan – Walt Disney Pictures
- ' – Goodtimes Entertainment
- The Rugrats Movie – Paramount
Best Family Feature Film: Comedy
- The Borrowers – Polygram
- The Parent Trap – Walt Disney Pictures
- Madeline – Tristar
- Paulie – DreamWorks
- Patch Adams – Universal
Best Family Feature Film: Drama
- The Mighty – Miramax
- Wide Awake – Miramax
- Simon Birch – Hollywood Pictures
- The Truman Show – Paramount
- – Paramount
- Lost in Space – New Line Cinema
Special awards
The Jackie Coogan Award
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Motion Pictures
★ Miramax Films – For having brought to the American audience so many outstanding domestic and foreign films featuring young performers. Their precedent lives on with the Italian film: Life Is Beautiful – starring the young Giorgio Cantarini.The Michael Landon Award
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Television
★ CBS Television Network – For its family value shows, with particular mention of Touched by an Angel.The Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Awards
Drew Barrymore★ Johnny Whitaker