The 3rd 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 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".
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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
Best Young Motion Picture Actress.
★ Kristy McNichol - "Only When I Laugh" - Columbia
Best Young Performer in a Television Special.
Best Young Actor in a Television Special.
★ Scott Baio - "Stoned" - ABC
Best Young Actress in a Television Special.
★ Dana Hill - "Fallen Angel" - CBS
Best Young Performer in a Television Series.
Best Young Actor in a Television Series.
★ Timothy Gibbs - "Father Murphy" - NBC
Best Young Actress in a Television Series.
★ Danielle Brisebois - "Archie Bunker's Place" - CBS 
Best Young Actor in a Daytime Series.
★ Michael Damian - "The Young and the Restless" - CBS
Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series.
★ Becky Perle - "The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!" - NBC
Best Young Comedy Performer.
Best Young Comedian: Motion Picture or Television.
★ Scott Baio - "Happy Days" - ABC
Best Young Comedienne: Motion Picture or Television.
★ Kim Fields - "The Facts of Life" - NBC
Best Young Musical Recording Artist.
Best Young Musical Recording Artist - Male.
★ Lionel Richie - "Endless Love" - Mercury
Best Young Musical Recording Artist - Female.
★ Little Miss Piggy - "The First Time It Happens" - Atlantic
Best Family Entertainment.
Best Motion Picture - Family Enjoyment.
★ "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - Paramount
Best Motion Picture: Fantasy or Comedy - Family Enjoyment.
★ "Clash of the Titans" - M.G.M.
Best Television Special - Family Enjoyment.
★ "The Wave" - T.A.T. Communications / ABC
Best Television Series - Family Enjoyment.
★ "Father Murphy" - NBC
Best Children's Television Series.
★ "ABC Weekend Special: The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" - ABC
Special Award.
Former Great Child Star Award.
★ Patsy Garrett
References.
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