3rd Youth in Film Awards


The 3rd Youth in Film Awards ceremony, presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers in the fields of film, television and music for the 1980-1981 season, and took place in December 1981 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 18 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 21, the eldest winner in a competitive category at the 3rd annual ceremony was Lionel Richie who was 32 years old on the night he won as "Best Young Musical Recording Artist - Male" for his song "Endless Love" from the soundtrack for the motion picture Endless Love.
The 3rd annual ceremony also marked the first and only time in the history of the Youth in Film Awards that a fictional character would be nominated in a competitive category, with "Little Miss Piggy" winning as "Best Young Musical Recording Artist - Female" for her song "The First Time It Happens" from the soundtrack for the motion picture The Great Muppet Caper.

Categories

Bold indicates the winner in each category.

Best Young Performer in a Feature Film

Best Young Motion Picture Actor

Ricky Schroder - The Earthling - Filmways
Kristy McNichol - Only When I Laugh - Columbia

Best Young Actor in a Television Special

Scott Baio - Stoned - ABC
Dana Hill - Fallen Angel - CBS

Best Young Actor in a Television Series

Timothy Gibbs - Father Murphy - NBC
Danielle Brisebois - Archie Bunker's Place - CBS
Michael Damian - The Young and the Restless - CBS
- The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! - NBC

Best Young Comedian: Motion Picture or Television

Scott Baio - Happy Days - ABC
Kim Fields - The Facts of Life - NBC

Best Young Musical Recording Artist - Male

Lionel Richie - Endless Love - Mercury
Little Miss Piggy - The First Time It Happens - Atlantic

Best Motion Picture - Family Enjoyment

Raiders of the Lost Ark - Paramount
Clash of the Titans - M.G.M.
The Wave - T.A.T. Communications / ABC
Father Murphy - NBC
ABC Weekend Special: The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - ABC

Former Great Child Star Award

Patsy Garrett