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.[1][2][3][4][5]
| 1st Youth in Film Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Achievement in 1978—1979 season |
| Date | October 1979 |
| Site | Sheraton Universal Hotel Universal City, California |
| Hosted by | Gary Coleman |
| Official website | YoungArtistAwards.org |
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.[1][6][7]
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.[3]
Categories
edit★ Bold indicates the winner in each category.[3]
Best Young Performer in a Feature Film
editBest Juvenile Actor in A Motion Picture
edit★ 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
edit★ 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 Young Performer in a TV Series or Special
editBest Juvenile Actor in A TV Series or Special
edit★ 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
edit★ 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 Young Performer in a TV Daytime Series
editBest Juvenile Actor in A Daytime Series
edit★ 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
edit★ Tracey Bregman – Days of Our Lives – NBC
- Genie Francis – General Hospital – ABC
- Natasha Ryan – Days of Our Lives – NBC
Best Young Musical Recording Artist
editBest Juvenile Musical Recording Artist – Male
edit★ 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
edit★ Evelyn "Champagne" King – Shame – RCA
- Marie Osmond (with The Osmonds) – Steppin' Out – Mercury
Best Entertainment Featuring Youth
editBest Motion Picture Featuring Youth
edit★ 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
edit★ 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
edit★ Nutcracker Fantasy – Sanrio Communications
- Hair – United Artists
- Sha Na Na – NBC
- Sleeping Beauty 1979 re-release – Disney
- The Muppet Movie – Marble Arch
Special awards
editJane Withers Award
editBest Juvenile Comedian
edit★ Gary Coleman – Diff'rent Strokes – NBC[5]
The Sybil Jason Award
editBest Juvenile Actress in a Motion Picture
edit★ Diane Lane – A Little Romance – WB
The Jackie Coogan Award
editBest Juvenile Actor in a Motion Picture
edit★ Thelonious Bernard – A Little Romance – WB
Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Crouse, Richard (2005). Reel Winners (illustrated ed.). Dundurn Press Ltd. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-1-55002-574-3.
- ^ Riggs, Thomas (2007). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Gale / Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-0-7876-9047-2.
- ^ a b c "1st Annual Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Former child stars Jackie Coogan and Jane Withers got together for the first "Youth in Film Awards"". Associated Press. 1979-10-16. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ a b "Coleman, Jackson and King Garner Youth Awards". Jet Magazine. Johnson Publishing Company. 1979-11-08. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Young Artist Awards – President's Message". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "HFPA Golden Globes – Young Artist Foundation". GoldenGlobes.org. Archived from the original on 2011-03-17. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "First Annual Youth in Film Awards: 1978-1979". Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2011.