Young Entertainer Awards to Honor 10th and 11th Ceremonies in Double Event at Harmony Gold Theatre; Nominees Announced

Organizers of the Young Entertainer Awards (YEA) are planning a two-for-one event on Saturday, June 20, when both the 10th and the 11th awards will be presented at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood. The double ceremony is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with red carpet arrivals beginning at 3:30.

'Logistical issues caused us to postpone the ninth annual awards ceremony until January of 2025,' said Alitzah Wiener, YEA executive producer. 'That program honored projects from 2023. We're catching up this year, by honoring projects from 2024 and 2025 in the same ceremony.'

The Young Entertainer Awards Foundation was founded in 2015 to instill confidence in young people pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. The annual awards ceremony honors artists in a range of categories including feature length films, short films, television, stage, web series, commercials, voiceovers and more. Proceeds from ticket sales and contributions help provide a scholarship to an individual or support another organization assisting talented youth who might not otherwise be able to realize their dream.

Radio and TV personality Manny Streetz Guevara, actor-comedian Rafael Sigler, and TV host Star Harvey will emcee the YEA Awards ceremony, with youth advocate and radio personality Chris Loos announcing. Television Icon, Broadway star, recording artist and songwriter Greg Evigan ('Grease,' 'BJ and the Bear,' 'My Two Dads') will receive the YEA Lifetime Achievement Award.

'Greg's career is a beautiful example of passion, perseverance, and dedication,' Wiener said. 'He began as a young performer, built an extraordinary career across Broadway, television, film, and music, and continues creating today. What has always impressed me about Greg is not only his talent and longevity, but his generosity."

YEA nominees for Best Leading Actor in a Television Series include Max Matenko ('Wizards Beyond Waverly Place') and Juan Pablo Romero ('Dino Dex'). Nominees for Best Recurring Young Actress in a Television Series include Teddie Allen ('Malice'), Sophie Leonard ('Platonic'), Violet Tinnirello ('Sesame Street'). In Feature Film categories, nominees include Miguel Gabriel ('Camera'), Ranen Navat ('Traumatika'), Banks Pierce ('Playdate'), Tristan Riggs ('Bad Men Must Bleed'), Rayce Snyder ('Aftermath'), Antonina Battrick ('Papa Sierra'), Avery Berry ('Carmen and Magic'), Abigail Grace Korenthal ('Aftermath'), Kylee Levien ('A Chrismystery') and more. The complete list of nominees can be seen here and it also appears below.

"We know first-hand the value of peer recognition, family encouragement and support, and preparation in the lives of young entertainers,' said Michael Wiener, YEA co-founder and director. 'That's what the Young Entertainer Awards is all about-actors and actress, working and struggling, make a tremendous effort in their endeavor to land a role. It's that very endeavor we wish to recognize, encourage, support and celebrate so that they have nice memories of this time in their lives."

The Young Entertainer Awards will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the Harmony Gold Theatre, 7655 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, Ca 90046. Doors open and Red Carpet arrivals begin at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m. Tickets for non-nominees are $185 and can be reserved at youngentertainerawards.org.

Young Entertainer Awards nominees (2025)

Best Leading Young Actor | Feature Film

• Knyght Darius Jack — Grayson's Encounter
• Eamon Patrick O'Connell — Mother's Instinct
• Bardia Seiri — Incoming
• Che Tafari — Little Wing

Best Leading Young Actress | Feature Film

• Courtné Alyssa — And God Made Man
• Alexandra Bradley — The Greatest Ever
• Cate Elefante — The Greatest Ever
• Summer H. Howell — Spirit in The Blood

Best Supporting Young Actor | Feature Film

• Lochlan Miller — Trap
• Ranen Navat — Into the Box
• Rayce Snyder — Film Camp

Best Supporting Young Actress | Feature Film

• Courtné Alyssa — Until the Last Promise
• Brooke Carter — Damsel
• Chapel Oaks — Red Right Hand
• Serenity Grace Russell — Forty-Seven Days with Jesus

Best Young Actor | Short Film

• Austin Bourne — Summers of Love
• Leland Mergillano — A Little Lift
• Magnus Newville — Sky
• Daven Saraf — Noah
• Rayce Snyder — Crescendo of Contention
• Kingston Zelaya — Haven

Best Young Actress | Short Film

• Sarah Noelle Eastep — A Scene from Sunset
• Alix West Lefler — The Fast Runner
• Abigail Grace Korenthal — Missing
• Vivienne Lucille — Ectropy: Chaos to Order
• Kristen Duff — One Moment

Best Supporting Young Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Special

• Bakari Blocton — Festival of Trees
• Leland Mergillano — Missing
• Ranen Navat — The Return

Best Supporting Young Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Special

• Courtné Alyssa — Killing All My Sisters
• Niki Garcia — Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home

Best Leading Young Actor | Television Series

• Christian Convery — Sweet Tooth
• Cale Ferrin — Shadrach

Best Leading Young Actress | Television Series

• Robyn Betteridge — My Lady Jane
• Venice Wong — The 4pm Club

Best Recurring Young Actor | Television Series

• Leo Harris — The Count of Monte Cristo
• Kim Kang-hoon — Pachinko
• Kaylen Luke — Criminal Record
• Sen Mars — Shogun

Best Recurring Young Actress | Television Series

• Aubin Bradley — The Really Loud House
• Catherine Asmore Bradley — The Really Loud House
• Piper Juhan — English Teacher
• Violet Tinnirello — Sesame Street

Best Guest Starring Young Actor | Television Series

• Ryan Anderson Lopez — Station 19
• Franco Meneses — La Máquina
• Quintún Muñoz — High Potential
• Hudson Paul — Blue Bloods
• Maddox Simmons — Nobody Wants This

Best Guest Starring Young Actress | Television Series

• Hala Finley — Skeleton Crew
• Serenity Grace Russell — 9-1-1: Lone Star
• Lola Shaw — Malory Towers

Best Performance | Daytime Series

• Alice Halsey — Days of Our Lives
• Tristan Riggs — General Hospital

Best Young Actor | Voice-Over Performance

• Shyam Balasubramanian — Kindergarten: The Musical
• Kayden Koshelev — Firebuds
• Daven Saraf — Dadda

Best Young Actress | Voice-Over Performance

• Tandi Fomukong — Dora
• Victoria Scola-Giampapa — Wonder Pets: In the City
• Andrea Rosa Guzman — Kindergarten: The Musical

Best Performance | Web Series

• Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel — Ecoleaders
• Vivienne Lucille — Anna McNulty
• Charlotte Delaney Riggs — NeWYoU
• Tristan Riggs — Scariest Night of My Life

Best Performance | Music Video

• Courtné Alyssa — Funny Girl
• Caroline Lobbin — If I Was the Mirror

Best Vocalist | Single

• Alisha Liston — Dreamland
• Caroline Lobbin — If I Was the Mirror

Best Performance | Live Theatre

• Griffin Arnold — Rent
• Ava Giselle Field — Fiddler on the Roof
• Yair Keydar — Drag: The Musical
• Kayden Koshelev — Drag: The Musical
• Leland Mergillano — Mary Poppins
• Everett Sobers — Appropriate

Outstanding Influencer

• Charlotte Delaney Riggs
• Tristan Riggs
• Serenity Grace Russell

Best Young Actor | Commercial

• Henry James Gross — Edward's Pie
• Daven Saraf — Nintendo

Best Young Actress | Commercial

• Eva Huang — Corn Next
• Vivienne Lucille — SunSeeker Lawn Mower
• Serenity Grace Russell — Discover Card
• Addyson Tabankin — Peacock Commercial

Young Entertainer Awards Nominees (2026)

Best Leading Young Actor | Feature Film

• Miguel Gabriel — Camera
• Ranen Navat — Traumatika
• Banks Pierce — Playdate
• Tristan Riggs — Bad Men Must Bleed
• Rayce Snyder — Aftermath

Best Leading Young Actress | Feature Film

• Antonina Battrick — Papa Sierra
• Avery Berry — Carmen and Magic
• Abigail Grace Korenthal — Aftermath
• Kylee Levien — A Chrismystery

Best Supporting Young Actor | Feature Film

• Kue Lawrence — Marshmallow
• Ollie Robinson — The Roses
• Gordon Rocks — Griffin in Summer
• Rayce Snyder — Land's End

Best Supporting Young Actress | Feature Film

• Lux Elizabeth — Young & Cursed
• Audrina Miranda — Jurassic World: Rebirth
• Emily Mitchell — Vicious

Best Young Actor | Short Film

• Kayden Koshelev — Cupid's Treacherous Journey
• Antonio T. Luna — Ravine
• Ranen Navat — Higuita
• Mateo Ray — Chele
• Daven Saraf — Before May 25th
• Rayce Snyder — The Orient

Best Young Actress | Short Film

• Freya Callaghan — Raw Heart
• Abigail Grace Korenthal — Out of Sync
• Phoebe Matcha — The Good Sister

Best Young Actress 12 and Under | Short Film

• Juliana Danielle Ferreira — Helmet Hair
• Zoey Fisher — Cootie Catcher
• Lucy Robinson — Inheritance
• Juniper Renee Verdon — Malka

Best Young Writer

• Ardyanna Ducusin — Still Got Me
• Kayden Koshelev — Cupid's Treacherous Journey
• Rayce Snyder — The Orient

Best Supporting Young Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Special

• Liam Anderson — Good American Family
• Reed Epley — Billionaire Married a Homeless Girl
• Ranen Navat — The Christmas Baby That Brought Us Home

Best Leading Young Actor | Television Series

• Max Matenko — Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
• Juan Pablo Romero — Dino Dex

Best Recurring Young Actor | Television Series

• Owen Cooper — Adolescence
• Emmett Moss — The Pitt
• Esai Pierre-Louis — Abbott Elementary

Best Recurring Young Actress | Television Series

• Teddie Allen — Malice
• Sophie Leonard — Platonic
• Violet Tinnirello — Sesame Street

Best Guest Starring Young Actor | Television Series

• Cameron Gayden — Countdown
• Roman Kinsella — Murder in a Small Town
• Axel Newville — Saturday Night Live

Best Guest Starring Young Actress | Television Series

• Casey Hilton — FBI: International
• Ani Pellegrino — FBI
• Serenity Grace Russell — Electric Bloom

Best Young Actor | Voice-Over Performance

• Knyght Darius Jack — Molly of Denali
• Kayden Koshelev — Firebuds
• Rocco Pellegrino — Hidden Island

Best Young Actress | Voice-Over Performance

• Charlotte Delaney Riggs — Nancy Hernandez & The Black Widow
• Addyson Tabankin — Bebefinn Movie: Into the Pinkfong World
• Kayden Brenna Tokarski — Wendy's x Wednesday: Misfortune Awaits

Best Performance | Web Series

• Cilla Jordan — Day in the Life
• Maddy Jordan — Day in the Life
• Charlotte Delaney Riggs — My Brother Wants Revenge
• Tristan Riggs — My Brother Wants Revenge
• Juniper Renee Verdon — When Flowers Seek Revenge

Best Performance | Music Video

• Bradley & Bowie Bundlie — Passport: Stamp on My Heart
• Ardyanna Ducusin — Still Got Me
• Mason McNulty — Dust
• Daven Saraf & Ranen Navat — Teethe: Magic of the Sale
• Reese Warren — Treats You Well

Best Vocalist | Single

• Ardyanna Ducusin — Still Got Me
• Mason McNulty — Dust

Best Young Actor | Live Theatre

• Griffin Arnold — Into the Woods
• Bradley Bundlie — Hadestown
• Antonio T. Luna — Spongebob: The Musical
• Kane Emmanuel Miller — Ragtime: The Musical

Best Young Actress | Live Theatre

• Lia Christina — Stranger Things: The Shadow
• Evelyn-Grace Williams — Moana Jr.

Outstanding Influencer

• Charlotte Delaney Riggs
• Tristan Riggs
• Serenity Grace Russell

Best Young Actor | Commercial

• Miguel Gabriel — Old Spice
• Rhys Kevin Murphy — JG Wentworth Grade School Musical
• Mateo Ray — The Last Condom on Earth
• Zachary Wechsler — Southwest Airlines

Best Young Actor 10 and Under | Commercial

• Tevah Magan — Electric Toy Car
• Zayine McCann — Trex Decking
• Rocco Pellegrino — Hallmark
• Leo Turk — Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

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