BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 8 -- The Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Awards, honoring movie and TV performers aged 6-18, is the first new awards show geared toward juvenile performers. The inaugural show, to be held Sept. 30 in Los Angeles, joins an ever-growing crop of entertainment industry celebrations, but this one may set itself apart with a fancy stepstool for its pint-sized presenters and winners and fruit punch flowing more freely than champagne at the after-party. Nominations were announced Tuesday at a news conference in Beverly Hills. 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor-Thomas received two nominations, one for his work on the popular ABC sitcom 'Home Improvement' and the other for his feature film debut in the Chevy Chase comedy 'Man of the House.' Joseph Mazzello, first noticed in the Steven Spielberg blockbuster 'Jurassic Park,' also picked up two bids, for last year's feature 'The River Wild' with Meryl Streep and for playing an orphan in the CBS TV movie 'A Father for Charlie.' Other nominees included Elijah Wood, who co-starred with Kevin Costner in the Vietnam-era drama 'The War,' Claire Danes, star of the now-canceled ABC series 'My So-Called Life,' and Kirsten Dunst, who garnered good reviews as the blood-thirsty protege of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 'Interview With the Vampire.' The eligibility period for the YoungStar Awards ran from June 1, 1994, through the same date this year. Nominees were selected in 12 categories by the Casting Society of America, the 312-member union representing Hollywood's major casting directors.
Winners will be determined by a ballot sent out later this month to 2,500 randomly selected subscribers to the Hollywood Reporter, one of the entertainment industry's oldest trade papers. ------
Nominees for the first annual Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Awards include: Movies: Actor, drama: Joseph Mazzello, 'The River Wild'; Sean Nelson, 'Fresh'; Brad Renfro, 'The Client'; Nick Stahl, 'Safe Passage'; Elijah Wood, 'The War.' Actress, drama: Vanessa Lee Chester, 'The Little Princess'; Kirsten Dunst, 'Interview With the Vampire'; Liesel Matthews, 'The Little Princess'; Natalie Portman, 'The Professional'; Kate Winslet, 'Heavenly Creatures.' Actor, comedy: Michael Patrick Carter, 'Milk Money'; Joseph Gordon Levitt, 'Angels in the Outfield'; Eric Lloyd, 'The Santa Clause'; Jonathan Taylor-Thomas, 'Man of the House.' Actress, comedy: Niketa Calame, 'The Lion King'; Eliza Dushku, 'Bye Bye Love'; Zelda Harris, 'Crooklyn'; Tina Majorino, 'Andre the Seal'; Christina Ricci, 'Casper.' Television: Actor, drama series: Kaj-Erik Eriksen, 'The Commish'; Devon Gummersall, 'My So-Called Life'; Merlin Santana, 'Under One Roof'; Adam Wylie, 'Picket Fences'; Ronald Joshua Scott, 'Under One Roof.' Actress, drama series: Lacey Chabert, 'Party of Five'; Claire Danes, 'My So-Called Life'; Lisa Wilhoit, 'My So-Called Life'; J. Madison Wright, 'Earth 2.' Actor, comedy series: Wayne Collins, 'Me and the Boys'; Haley Joel Osment, 'Thunder Alley'; Benjamin Salisbury, 'The Nanny'; Rider Strong, 'Boy Meets World'; Jonathan Taylor-Thomas, 'Home Improvement. ' Actress, comedy series: Tatyana Ali, 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'; Courtney Chase, 'Blossom'; Nicholle Tom, 'The Nanny'; Madeline Zima, 'The Nanny.' Actor, daytime series: Jason Biggs, 'As the World Turns'; Bryan Buffington, 'Guiding Light'; Jonathan Jackson, 'General Hospital'; Tommy Michaels, 'All My Children'; Geoffrey Wigdor, 'Loving.' Actress, daytime series: Sarah Michelle Gellar, 'All My Children'; Kimberly McCullough, 'General Hospital'; Rachel Miner, 'Guiding Light'; Amber Rose Tamblyn, 'General Hospital'; Erin Torpey, 'One Life to Live.' Actor, TV movie or miniseries: Justin Chapman, 'Problem Child 3' (NBC); Noah Fleiss, 'A Mother's Prayer' (USA); Will Horneff, 'The Yearling' (CBS); Keegan MacIntosh, 'The Innocent' (NBC): Joseph Mazzello, 'A Father for Charlie' (CBS). Actress, TV movie or miniseries: Karis Paige Bryant, 'While Justice Sleeps' (ABC); Gaby Hoffman, 'Freaky Friday' (ABC); Laura Morgan, 'The Judds' (NBC); Elisabeth Moss, 'Escape to Witch Mountain' (ABC).
