# AACTA Award for Best Young Actor

The AACTA Award for Best Young Actor is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 1991 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Young Actors Award.
The award was first presented in 1991 as "Best Juvenile Performance". It was handed out as a special award from 1991 to 2001, before it became a competitive award from 2002, onwards. Additionally, a cash prize of A$20,000 was given to the winner from 2006 to 2008.
The award is presented at the discretion of the Academy, and is eligible to an actor or actress who is under the age of eighteen. It is given to an individual who has performed in a lead, supporting or guest role of television, feature film and short film categories.

## Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the same year. The performer in bold and in dark blue background have received a special award; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning performer first and then the other nominees.
| Year | Nominee | Program | Character(s) | Notes |
| AFI Awards |||||
| 1990s |||||
| 1991 (33rd) | Lauren Hewett | Act of Necessity | Samantha | Television film |
| 1992 (34th) | Alex Outhred | Hammers Over the Anvil | Alan Marshall | Feature film |
| 1993 (35th) | Lauren Hewett | Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left | X | Television series |
| 1993 (35th) | Robert Joamie | Map of the Human Heart | Young Avik | Feature film |
| 1994 (36th) | Zbych Trofimiuk | Sky Trackers | Mike Masters | Television series |
| 1995 (37th) | Jamie Croft | That Eye, the Sky | Morton 'Ort' Flack | Feature film |
| 1996 (38th) | Petra Yared | Mirror, Mirror | Jo Tiegan | Television series |
| 1997 (39th) | Jeffrey Walker | The Wayne Manifesto | Wayne Wilson | Television series |
| 1998 (40th) | Paul Pantano | Water Rats | Max Ryde | Television series |
| 1999 (41st) | Abbie Cornish | Wildside | Simone Summers | Television series |
| 2000s |||||
| 2000 (42nd) | Kane McNay | Mallboy | Shaun | Feature film |
| 2000 (42nd) | Xaris Miller | Eugénie Sandler P.I. | Eugénie Sandler | Television series |
| 2001 (43rd) | John Sebastian Pilakui | Yolngu Boy | Lorrpu | Feature film |
| 2001 (43rd) | Joshua Jay | All Saints | Zac Stockwell | Television series |
| 2002 (44th) | Emily Browning | Halifax f.p. | Kristy O'Connor | Television film |
| 2002 (44th) | Luke O'Loughlin | Escape of the Artful Dodger | Dodger | Television series |
| 2002 (44th) | Everlyn Sampi | Rabbit-Proof Fence | Molly Craig | Feature film |
| 2003 (45th) | Liam Hess | Don't Blame the Koalas | Greg King | Television series |
| 2003 (45th) | Emily Browning | After the Deluge | Maddy | Television film |
| 2003 (45th) | Mason Richardson | Teesh and Trude | Kenny | Feature film |
| 2004 (46th) | Natasha Wanganeen | Jessica | Mary Simpson | Television miniseries |
| 2004 (46th) | Richard Wilson | Out There | Miller McKee | Television series |
| 2004 (46th) | Sarah Vongmany | Comedy Inc: The Late Shift | Sophie | Docudrama |
| 2004 (46th) | Jarryd Jinks | Tom White | Jet | Feature film |
| 2005 (47th) | Sophie Luck | Blue Water High | Fiona "Fly" Watson | Television series |
| 2005 (47th) | Maddi Newling | Danya | Danya | Short film |
| 2005 (47th) | Brittany Byrnes | Little Oberon | Natasha Green | Television film |
| 2005 (47th) | Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik | Three Dollars | Various | Abby Harnovey |
| 2006 (48th) | Marny Kennedy | Mortified | Taylor Fry | Television series |
| 2006 (48th) | Frank Sweet | 2:37 | Marcus | Feature film |
| 2006 (48th) | Christian Byers | Opal Dream | Ashmol Williamson | Feature film |
| 2006 (48th) | Mia Wasikowska | Suburban Mayhem | Lilya | Feature film |
| 2007 (49th) | Kodi Smit-McPhee | Romulus, My Father | Raimond | Feature film |
| 2007 (49th) | Sean Keenan | Lockie Leonard | Phillip | Television series |
| 2007 (49th) | Irene Chen | The Home Song Stories | May | Feature film |
| 2007 (49th) | Joel Lok | The Home Song Stories | Tom | Feature film |
| 2008 (50th) | Danielle Catanzariti | Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger | Esther Blueburger | Feature film |
| 2008 (50th) | Saoirse Ronan | Death Defying Acts | Benji McGarvie | Feature film |
| 2008 (50th) | Clarence John Ryan | Sep | Paddy Parker | Feature film |
| 2008 (50th) | Tom Green | The Ground Beneath | Kaden | Short film |
| 2009 (51st) | Marissa Gibson | Samson and Delilah | Delilah | Feature film |
| 2009 (51st) | Rowan McNamara | Samson and Delilah | Samson | Feature film |
| 2009 (51st) | Brandon Walters | Australia | Nullah | Feature film |
| 2009 (51st) | Sebastian Gregory | Beautiful | Danny | Feature film |
| 2009 (51st) | Tom Russell | Last Ride | Chook | Feature film |
| 2009 (51st) | Toby Wallace | Lucky Country | Tom | Feature film |
| 2010s |||||
| 2010 (52nd) | Harrison Gilbertson | Beneath Hill 60 | Frank Tiffin | Feature film |
| 2010 (52nd) | Ashleigh Cummings | Tomorrow, When the War Began | Robyn Mathers | Feature film |
| 2010 (52nd) | Morgana Davies | The Tree | Simone | Feature film |
| 2010 (52nd) | James Frecheville | Animal Kingdom | Joshua "J" Cody | Feature film |
| AACTA Awards |||||
| 2011 (1st) | Lara Robinson | Cloudstreet | Young Rose Pickles | Television miniseries |
| 2011 (1st) | Olivia DeJonge | Good Pretender | Ally | Short film |
| 2011 (1st) | Emma Jefferson | My Place | Johanna | Television series |
| 2011 (1st) | Lucas Yeeda | Mad Bastards | Bullet | Feature film |