# Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film

The Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film is one of the Young Artist Awards presented annually by the Young Artist Association to recognize a young actor under the age of 21, who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the film industry. In its early years, the award was also known as the Youth in Film Award for Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture, as well as by numerous other variations to its title over the years, however, the spirit of the award has remained essentially the same since its inception. Winners are selected by secret ballot of the 125 members of the Young Artist Association as well as former Youth in Film Award/Young Artist Award winners.

## History

Throughout the past 34 years, accounting for ties, category splits, and repeat winners, the Young Artist Association has presented a total of 43 "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" awards to 40 different actors. Winners of the award receive the traditional Young Artist Award statuette; a gilded figure of a man displaying a star above its head, reminiscent of a miniature child-sized Oscar. The first recipient was Dennis Christopher, who was honored at the 1st Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1979) for his performance in Breaking Away. The most recent recipient was Tom Holland, who was honored at the 34th Young Artist Awards ceremony (2012) for his performance in The Impossible.
Throughout the history of the award, the "Best Young Actor in a Feature Film" category has been "split" several times. Until the 3rd Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1981), nominations for the "Best Young Actor in a Feature Film" award included all actors, regardless of whether the performance could be perceived to be in either a leading or supporting role. At the 4th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1982), however, the "Best Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film" category (not listed on this page) was specifically introduced as a separate award.
In the late 1980s, the category was split for three ceremonies; the 9th Youth In Film Awards ceremony (1987), the 10th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1988), and the 15th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1993). During these three years, the Young Artist Association split the category into a total of four sub-categories; "Best Young Male Superstar in a Motion Picture", "Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama", "Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy", and "Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Horror or Mystery" (all listed on this page). However, the association would once again "merge" these various sub-categories back together after the 15th Youth in Film Awards.
Beginning with the 14th Youth in Film Awards, the association once again split the category, this time creating a new category to recognize young film actors age 10 and under in their own separate category. The "Best Young Actor Age 10 and Under in a Feature Film" category (not listed on this page) would become a permanent fixture of the Young Artist Awards and, as of 2012, is still awarded annually. Despite the creation of the "10 and Under" category, some "leading" young actors under the age of 10 have continued to be nominated as "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film".

## Superlatives

Although today the Young Artist Association has strict age requirements regarding which nominees are eligible for a Young Artist Award nomination, the association did not originally have such specific age restrictions. Today, candidates eligible for a Young Artist Award nomination must be between the ages of 5 and 21 at the time of principal production of the project for which they are nominated. However, the eldest winner of the "Best Young Actor in a Feature Film" award is Dennis Christopher, who was 23 years old the night he won for his performance in Breaking Away at the 1st Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1979). The youngest winner of a "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" award is Mason Gamble, who was 8 years old the night he won for his performance in Dennis the Menace at the 15th Youth in Film Awards ceremony (1993).
The following list of superlatives is of winners/nominees in the "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" category. Wins/nominations in other Young Artist Award feature film categories, such as "Best Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film", "Best Young Actor Age 10 and Under in a Feature Film", and "Best Leading Young Actor in an International Feature Film", are not included.
Superlative winners/nominees are listed alphabetically.
| Superlative | Actor | Wins | Nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" wins | Sean Astin | 2 wins | 2 nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" wins | Corey Feldman | 2 wins | 2 nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" wins | Josh Hutcherson | 2 wins | 4 nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" nominations | Josh Hutcherson | 2 wins | 4 nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" nominations | Haley Joel Osment | 1 win | 4 nominations |
| Actors with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" nominations | Elijah Wood | 1 win | 4 nominations |
| Actor with most "Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film" nominations (without winning) | Freddie Highmore | 0 wins | 4 nominations |

## Winners and nominees

For the first twenty-three ceremonies, due to the numerous "Television" awards also presented by the Young Artist Association, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years to recognize the traditional television season. For example, the 1st Youth in Film Awards, presented in October 1979, recognized performers who appeared on television shows and in feature films that were released between September 1, 1978, and August 31, 1979. Starting with the 24th Young Artist Awards, presented in March 2003, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, similar to the eligibility requirement used by the Academy Awards.
Following the Young Artist Association's practice, the films below are listed by year of their qualifying run, which is the year the film was released in the United States, and not by the date of the ceremony, which has traditionally taken place the following calendar year beginning with the 10th Youth in Film Awards ceremony which recognized performances during the 1987/1988 season and took place in 1989.
★ Winners are listed first and highlighted in gold, followed by the other nominees in the category for that year.

### 1970s

| Year | Actor | Film | Studio |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) | ★ Dennis Christopher | Breaking Away | 20th Century Fox |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) | Thelonious Bernard | A Little Romance | Warner Bros. |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) | Panchito Gomez | Walk Proud | Universal Studios |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) | Jeremy Levy | Rich Kids | United Artists |
| 1978 / 1979 (1st) | Ricky Schroder | The Champ | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |

### 1980s

| Year | Actor | Film | Studio |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | ★ Justin Henry | Kramer vs. Kramer | Columbia Pictures |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | Christopher Atkins | The Blue Lagoon | Columbia Pictures |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | Matt Dillon | My Bodyguard | 20th Century Fox |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | Paul McCrane | Fame | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | Barry Miller | Fame | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1979 / 1980 (2nd) | Ricky Schroder | The Last Flight of Noah's Ark | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | ★ Ricky Schroder | The Earthling | Filmways Pictures |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | Martin Hewitt | Endless Love | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | Otto Rechenberg | Amy | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | Paul Schoeman | Child's Play | American Film Institute |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | Gabriel Swann | Why Would I Lie? | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1980 / 1981 (3rd) | Henry Thomas | Raggedy Man | Universal Pictures |
| 1981 / 1982 (4th) |
| 1981 / 1982 (4th) | ★ Henry Thomas | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Universal Pictures |
| 1981 / 1982 (4th) | Matt Dillon | Tex | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1981 / 1982 (4th) | Doug McKeon | Night Crossing | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) | ★ C. Thomas Howell | The Outsiders | Warner Bros. |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) | Torquil Campbell | The Golden Seal | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) | Sebastian Duncan | Man, Woman and Child | Paramount Pictures |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) | Frederick Koehler | Mr. Mom | 20th Century Fox |
| 1982 / 1983 (5th) | Kelly Reno | The Black Stallion Returns | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | ★ Anthony Michael Hall | Sixteen Candles | Universal Pictures |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Peter Billingsley | A Christmas Story | MGM/UA |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Ross Harris | Testament | Paramount Pictures |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Noah Hathaway | The NeverEnding Story | Warner Bros. |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Barret Oliver | The NeverEnding Story | Warner Bros. |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Jason Presson | The Stone Boy | 20th Century Fox |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Byron Thames | Heart Like a Wheel | 20th Century Fox |
| 1983 / 1984 (6th) | Henry Thomas | Cloak & Dagger | Universal Studios |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | ★ Sean Astin | The Goonies | Warner Bros. |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | Hunter Carson | Paris, Texas | 20th Century Fox |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | Lukas Haas | Witness | Paramount Pictures |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | Ethan Hawke | Explorers | Paramount Pictures |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | Jason Lively | National Lampoon's European Vacation | Warner Bros. |
| 1984 / 1985 (7th) | Barret Oliver | D.A.R.Y.L. | Paramount Pictures |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | ★ Peter Billingsley | The Dirt Bike Kid | Trinity Pictures |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | Chad Allen | TerrorVision | Empire International Pictures |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | Brandon Douglas | Papa Was a Preacher | La Rose Productions |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | Scott Grimes | Critters | New Line Cinema |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | Corey Haim | Lucas | 20th Century Fox |
| 1985 / 1986 (8th) | Bobby Jacoby | The Zoo Gang | New World Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | ★Superstar: River Phoenix | The Mosquito Coast | Warner Bros. |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Corey Haim | The Lost Boys | Warner Bros. |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | David Mendenhall | Over the Top | Cannon Films |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | ★Drama: Fred Savage | The Princess Bride | 20th Century Fox |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Harley Cross | The Believers | Orion Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Joshua Miller | River's Edge | Hemdale/Island Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Jacob Vargas | The Principal | TriStar Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Joshua Zuehlke | Amazing Grace and Chuck | TriStar Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | ★Comedy: Patrick Dempsey | Can't Buy Me Love | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Ricky Busker | Big Shots | Lorimar/20th Century Fox |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Keith Coogan | Adventures in Babysitting | Buena Vista/Touchstone Pictures |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Darius McCrary | Big Shots | Lorimar/20th Century Fox |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Joshua Rudoy | Harry and the Hendersons | Universal Studios |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | ★Horror: Corey Feldman | The Lost Boys | Warner Bros. |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Stephen Dorff | The Gate | Alliance Entertainment |
| 1986 / 1987 (9th) | Michael Sharrett | Deadly Friend | Warner Bros. |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | ★Drama: Christian Bale | Empire of the Sun | Warner Bros. |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Warwick Davis | Willow | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Kevin Dillon | The Rescue | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Roland Harrah III | Braddock: Missing in Action III | Cannon Films |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Neil Patrick Harris | Clara's Heart | Warner Bros. |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Sebastian Rice-Edwards | Hope and Glory | Columbia Pictures |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | ★Comedy/Fantasy: Corey Feldman (tie) | License to Drive | 20th Century Fox |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | ★Comedy/Fantasy: Corey Haim (tie) | License to Drive | 20th Century Fox |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Jade Calegory | Mac and Me | Orion Pictures |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | David Moscow | Big | 20th Century Fox |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Jared Rushton | Big | 20th Century Fox |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Jamie Wild | Overboard | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | ★Horror/Mystery: Lukas Haas | Lady in White | New Century Vista Film Company |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Rodney Eastman | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | New Line Cinema |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Ricky Paull Goldin | The Blob | TriStar Pictures |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Andras Jones | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | New Line Cinema |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Michael Kenworthy | Return of the Living Dead Part II | Lorimar |
| 1987 / 1988 (10th) | Kieran O'Brien | Bellman and True | Island Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | ★ Sean Astin | Staying Together | Hemdale Film Corporation |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Kirk Cameron | Listen to Me | Columbia Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Joel Carlson | Communion | New Line Cinema |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Keith Coogan | Cheetah | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Cory Danziger | The 'Burbs | Universal Studios |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Joshua Miller | Teen Witch | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Leaf Phoenix | Parenthood | Universal Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Jared Rushton | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Ben Savage | Little Monsters | Vestron Pictures |
| 1988 / 1989 (11th) | Fred Savage | The Wizard | Universal Pictures |

### 1990s

| Year | Actor | Film | Studio |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) | ★ Macaulay Culkin | Home Alone | 20th Century Fox |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) | Balthazar Getty | Lord of the Flies | Columbia Pictures |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) | Charlie Korsmo | Dick Tracy | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) | Joshua Miller | Class of 1999 | Lightning Pictures |
| 1989 / 1990 (12th) | Elijah Wood | Avalon | TriStar Pictures |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | ★ Ethan Randall-Embry | Dutch | 20th Century Fox |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Jonathan Brandis | The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter | Warner Bros. |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Balthazar Getty | My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Lukas Haas | Rambling Rose | Seven Arts Pictures |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Stian Smestad | Shipwrecked | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. | Bingo | TriStar Pictures |
| 1990 / 1991 (13th) | Elijah Wood | Paradise | Interscope/Touchstone Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | ★ Elijah Wood | Radio Flyer | Columbia Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Jonathan Brandis | Ladybugs | Paramount Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Christopher Castile | Beethoven | Universal Studios |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Christian Coleman | South Central | Warner Bros. |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Stephen Dorff | The Power of One | Warner Bros. |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Joshua John Miller | And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird | Trimark Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Robert Oliveri | Honey, I Blew Up the Kid | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Ethan Randall-Embry | All I Want for Christmas | Paramount Pictures |
| 1991 / 1992 (14th) | Benjamin Salisbury | Captain Ron | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | ★Drama: Edward Furlong (tie) | A Home of Our Own | Gramercy Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | ★Drama: Jason James Richter (tie) | Free Willy | Warner Bros. |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Jesse Bradford | King of the Hill | Universal Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Andrew Knott | The Secret Garden | Warner Bros. |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Austin O'Brien | Last Action Hero | Columbia Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Heydon Prowse | The Secret Garden | Warner Bros. |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Ernie Reyes Jr. | Surf Ninjas | New Line Cinema |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. | Jack the Bear | 20th Century Fox |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | ★Comedy: Mason Gamble | Dennis the Menace | Warner Bros. |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Omri Katz | Hocus Pocus | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | David Krumholtz | Life with Mikey | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Sean Murray | Hocus Pocus | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | David Netter | One Good Cop | Hollywood Pictures |
| 1992 / 1993 (15th) | Michael Oliver | Problem Child 2 | Universal Studios |
| 1993 / 1994 (16th) |
| 1993 / 1994 (16th) | ★ Brad Renfro | The Client | Warner Bros. |
| 1993 / 1994 (16th) | Sean Nelson | Fresh | Miramax Films |
| 1993 / 1994 (16th) | Austin O'Brien | My Girl 2 | Columbia Pictures |
| 1993 / 1994 (16th) | Elijah Wood | North | Universal Pictures |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | ★ Wil Horneff | Born to Be Wild | Warner Bros. |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Jerry Barone | Two Bits | Miramax Films |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Jesse Bradford | Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog | 20th Century Fox |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Joseph Mazzello & Brad Renfro | The Cure | Universal Pictures |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Hal Scardino | The Indian in the Cupboard | Columbia Pictures/Paramount Pictures |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Ryan Slater | The Amazing Panda Adventure | Warner Bros. |
| 1994 / 1995 (17th) | Jonathan Taylor Thomas | Tom and Huck | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) | ★ Lucas Black | Sling Blade | Miramax Films |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) | Kevin Bishop | Muppet Treasure Island | Jim Henson Prods./Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) | Kyle Howard | House Arrest | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) | Vincent Kartheiser | Alaska | Castle Rock Entertainment |
| 1995 / 1996 (18th) | Joe Perrino | Sleepers | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) | ★ Blake Heron (tie) | Shiloh | Legacy Releasing/Warner Bros. |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) | ★ Kevin Zegers (tie) | Air Bud | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) | Blake Foster | Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie | Saban Entertainment/20th Century Fox |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) | Brandon Hammond | Soul Food | 20th Century Fox |
| 1996 / 1997 (19th) | Mario Yedidia | Warriors of Virtue | China Film Co-Prod. Corp./MGM |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | ★ Miko Hughes | Mercury Rising | Universal Pictures |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Michael Caloz | Little Men | Warner Bros. |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Joseph Cross | Wide Awake | Miramax Films |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Kieran Culkin | The Mighty | Miramax Films |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Kyle Gibson | True Friends | 2nd Generation Films |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Joseph Mazzello | Simon Birch | Hollywood Pictures |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Eamonn Owens | The Butcher Boy | Warner Bros. |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Gregory Smith | Small Soldiers | DreamWorks |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Ian Michael Smith | Simon Birch | Hollywood Pictures |
| 1997 / 1998 (20th) | Kevin Zegers | Air Bud: Golden Receiver | Keystone Pictures |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) | ★ Haley Joel Osment | The Sixth Sense | Spyglass Ent./Hollywood Pictures |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) | Lucas Black | Crazy in Alabama | Columbia Pictures |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) | Jeremy Blackman | Magnolia | New Line Cinema |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) | Noah Fleiss | Joe the King | Trimark Pictures |
| 1998 / 1999 (21st) | Jake Gyllenhaal | October Sky | Universal Pictures |

### 2000s

| Year | Actor | Film | Studio |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) | ★ Rob Brown | Finding Forrester | Columbia Pictures |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) | Patrick Fugit | Almost Famous | DreamWorks SKG |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) | Ryan Merriman | Just Looking | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) | Haley Joel Osment | Pay It Forward | Warner Bros. |
| 1999 / 2000 (22nd) | Kevin Zegers | MVP: Most Valuable Primate | Keystone Family Pictures |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | ★ Anton Yelchin | Hearts in Atlantis | Warner Bros. |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | Blake Foster | Kids World | Blue Steel Releasing |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | Trevor Morgan | The Glass House | Columbia Pictures |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | Camden Munson | In the Bedroom | Miramax Films |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | Haley Joel Osment | A.I.: Artificial Intelligence | DreamWorks |
| 2000 / 2001 (23rd) | Alexander Pollock | Cats & Dogs | Warner Bros. |
| 2002 (24th) |
| 2002 (24th) | ★ Tyler Hoechlin | Road to Perdition | DreamWorks/20th Century Fox |
| 2002 (24th) | Jamie Bell | Nicholas Nickleby | MGM/UA |
| 2002 (24th) | Rory Culkin | Signs | Buena Vista Pictures |
| 2002 (24th) | Nicholas Hoult | About A Boy | Studio Canal/Universal Studios |
| 2002 (24th) | Lil' Bow Wow | Like Mike | 20th Century Fox |
| 2002 (24th) | Matthew O'Leary | Frailty | Lions Gate Entertainment |
| 2002 (24th) | Mark Rendall | Touching Wild Horses | Animal Tales Productions |
| 2003 (25th) |
| 2003 (25th) | ★ Jeremy Sumpter | Peter Pan | Universal Studios |
| 2003 (25th) | Liam Aiken | Good Boy! | Jim Henson Productions |
| 2003 (25th) | David Henrie | Arizona Summer | WestPark Productions |
| 2003 (25th) | Shia LaBeouf | Holes | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2003 (25th) | Frankie Muniz | Agent Cody Banks | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 2003 (25th) | Haley Joel Osment | Secondhand Lions | New Line Cinema |
| 2004 (26th) |
| 2004 (26th) | ★ Jamie Bell | Undertow | MGM/UA |
| 2004 (26th) | Liam Aiken | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks |
| 2004 (26th) | Rory Culkin | Mean Creek | Paramount Classics |
| 2004 (26th) | Freddie Highmore | Finding Neverland | Miramax Films |
| 2004 (26th) | Bobby Preston | Motocross Kids | Tag Entertainment |
| 2005 (27th) |
| 2005 (27th) | ★ Josh Hutcherson | Zathura: A Space Adventure | Columbia Pictures |
| 2005 (27th) | Adam Butcher | Saint Ralph | Alliance Atlantis |
| 2005 (27th) | Freddie Highmore | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Warner Bros. |
| 2005 (27th) | Taylor Lautner | The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D | Columbia Pictures |
| 2005 (27th) | William Moseley | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2006 (28th) |
| 2006 (28th) | ★ Logan Lerman | Hoot | New Line Cinema |
| 2006 (28th) | Cameron Bright | Running Scared | Media 8 Entertainment |
| 2006 (28th) | Conor Donovan | Twelve and Holding | Echo Lake Productions |
| 2006 (28th) | Josh Hutcherson | RV | Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures |
| 2006 (28th) | Alex Neuberger | Running Scared | Media 8 Entertainment |
| 2006 (28th) | Thomas Sangster | Nanny McPhee | Universal Pictures |
| 2007 (29th) |
| 2007 (29th) | ★ Josh Hutcherson | Bridge to Terabithia | Buena Vista Pictures |
| 2007 (29th) | Alex Etel | The Water Horse | Columbia Pictures |
| 2007 (29th) | Miles Heizer | Rails & Ties | Warner Bros. |
| 2007 (29th) | Freddie Highmore | August Rush | Warner Bros. |
| 2007 (29th) | Jacob Kogan | Joshua | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 2007 (29th) | Logan Lerman | 3:10 to Yuma | Lionsgate |
| 2007 (29th) | Zach Mills | Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium | 20th Century Fox |
| 2007 (29th) | Alex Neuberger | Underdog | Buena Vista Pictures |
| 2007 (29th) | Chris O'Neil | The Last Mimzy | New Line Cinema |
| 2007 (29th) | Alejandro Polanco | Chop Shop | Koch-Lorber Films |
| 2008 (30th) |
| 2008 (30th) | ★ Nate Hartley | Drillbit Taylor | Paramount Pictures |
| 2008 (30th) | Freddie Highmore | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Paramount Pictures |
| 2008 (30th) | Josh Hutcherson | Journey to the Center of the Earth | Warner Bros. |
| 2008 (30th) | Skandar Keynes | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2009 (31st) |
| 2009 (31st) | ★ Max Records | Where The Wild Things Are | Warner Bros. |
| 2009 (31st) | Jake T. Austin | Hotel for Dogs | DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures |
| 2009 (31st) | Jimmy Bennett | Alabama Moon | Alabama Moon Entertainment |
| 2009 (31st) | Devon Bostick | Adoration | Ego Film Arts |
| 2009 (31st) | Taylor Lautner | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Imprint Entertainment |

### 2010s

| Year | Actor | Film | Studio |
| 2010 (32nd) |
| 2010 (32nd) | ★ Jaden Smith | The Karate Kid | Columbia Pictures |
| 2010 (32nd) | Zachary Gordon | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | 20th Century Fox |
| 2010 (32nd) | Noah Ringer | The Last Airbender | Paramount Pictures |
| 2010 (32nd) | Eros Vlahos | Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | Universal Studios |
| 2011 (33rd) |
| 2011 (33rd) | ★ Dakota Goyo | Real Steel | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2011 (33rd) | Asa Butterfield | Hugo | Columbia Pictures |
| 2011 (33rd) | Joel Courtney | Super 8 | Paramount Pictures |
| 2011 (33rd) | Nathan Gamble | Dolphin Tale | Warner Bros. |
| 2011 (33rd) | Brian Gilbert | The Son of No One | Anchor Bay Entertainment |
| 2011 (33rd) | Zachary Gordon | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | 20th Century Fox |
| 2011 (33rd) | José Julián | A Better Life | Summit Entertainment |
| 2012 (34th) |
| 2012 (34th) | ★ Tom Holland | The Impossible | Warner Bros. |
| 2012 (34th) | Jared Gilman | Moonrise Kingdom | Focus Features |
| 2012 (34th) | Zachary Gordon | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | Fox 2000 |
| 2012 (34th) | Quinn Lord | Imaginaerum | Nordisk Films |
| 2012 (34th) | Jason Spevack | Jesus Henry Christ | Entertainment One |
| 2012 (34th) | Christian Traeumer | The Child | Stealth Media Group |
| 2013 (35th) |
| 2013 (35th) | ★ Miles Elliot | Camp | Roebuck Media |
| 2013 (35th) | Skylan Brooks | The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete | Lionsgate Entertainment |
| 2013 (35th) | Chandler Canterbury | Standing Up | Aldamisa Entertainment |
| 2013 (35th) | Liam James | The Way Way Back | OddLot Entertainment |
| 2013 (35th) | Maxim Knight | Medeas | Keyhole Productions |