FYC: Critics Choice Best Young Performer of 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 10:00PM 
Each year one of our awards traditions is to help fellow BFCA members choose more wisely when it comes to the "Young Performer" category by sharing an eligibility list. The lazy nominations each year prove that help is needed. Here's the thing: it can be difficult to even think of who is eligible when you're filling out a ballot because you don't get a list of choices and it's not a category people campaign for or one that the internet talks about. So we solve that problem right here. Our other belief, which is why we do this, is that if you actually pay attention there are enough worthy performances each year to divvy this category up into male and female as the other acting categories are divvied up. But, yes, you have to be paying attention beyond 5 or 6 movies and leading roles to notice the truly special work.
Ballots go out to the BFCA soon so here's a cheat sheet to help them vote. The category is UNDER 21... (it should obviously be adjusted to 17 and under but that's a fight for another day). Please FYC your favorites in the comments!
ELIGIBLE "YOUNG PERFORMERS" IN 2016 FILMS
GIRLS
Ella Anderson (11) as "Rachel" in The Boss
Ruby Barnhill (12) as "Sophie" in The BFG DEBUT
Annalise Basso (18) as "Vespyr" in Captain Fantastic
Elle Fanning (18) as "Julie" in 20th Century Women OR as "Jesse" in Neon Demon (3 previous nods in this category)
Royalty Hightower (11) as "Toni" in The Fits DEBUT
Samantha Isler (18) as "Keilyr" in Captain Fantastic
Avin Manshadi (?) as "Dorsa" in Under the Shadow DEBUT
Madina Nalwanga (?) as "Phiona" in Queen of Katwe DEBUT
Alexis Nebblet (11) as "Beezy" in The Fits DEBUT
Eva Peterson (18?) as "Crystal" in The Boss DEBUT
Ella Purnell (20) as "Emma Bloom" in Miss Peregrine's Home...
Angourie Rice (15) as "Holly March" in The Nice Guys
Hailee Steinfeld (19) as "Nadine" in Edge of Seventeen (previous winner of this category)
Anya Taylor-Joy (20) as "Thomasin" in The Witch DEBUT
Madison Wolfe (14) as "Janet" in The Conjuring 2
BOYS
Michael Barbieri (14) as "Tony Calvelli" in Little Men DEBUT
Asa Butterfield (19) as "Jake" in Miss Peregrine's Home... (two previous nods in this category)
Markees Christmas (17) as "Morris" in Morris From America DEBUT
Julian Dennison (14) as "Ricky" in Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Devin Druid (?) as "Conrad" in Louder than Bombs
Oakes Fegley (11?) as "Pete" in Pete's Dragon
Nicholas Hamilton (16) as "Rellian" in Captain Fantastic
Alex R Hibbert (?) as "Little" in Moonlight DEBUT
Lucas Hedges (20) as "Patrick" in Manchester by the Sea
Tom Holland (20) as "Peter Parker" in Captain America: Civil War (previous nominee in this category)
Jharrel Jerome (19) as "Kevin (16)" in Moonlight DEBUT
Jaeden Lieberher (13) as "Alton" in Midnight Special (previous nominee in this category)
Lewis MacDougall (14) as "Conor" in A Monster Calls
Sunny Pawar (?) as "Young Saroo" in Lion DEBUT
Ashton Sanders (20) as "Chiron" in Moonlight
Harvey Scrimshaw (14) as "Caleb" in The Witch
Neel Sethi (12) as "Mowgli" in The Jungle Book DEBUT
Theo Taplitz (13) as "Jake Jardine" in Little Men DEBUT
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (17) as "Cosmo" in Sing Street DEBUT
Lucas Jade Zumann (15) as "Jamie" in 20th Century Women
Who would you vote for?
Reader Comments (37)
Michael Barbieri and Royalty Hightower. All the Chiron / Kevin youngsters in Moonlight. No one else comes even close.
Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Witch"
Elle Fanning, "20th Century Women"
Alexis Nebblet, "The Fits"
Hailee Steinfeld, "The Edge of Seventeen"
Royalty Hightower, "The Fits"
Ruby Barnhill, "The BFG"
Sunny Pawar, "Lion"
Lucas Hedges, "Manchester by the Sea"
Markees,Christmas, "Morris From America"
Jharrel Jerome, "Moonlight"
Neel Sethi, "The Jungle Book"
Lewis Macdougal, "A Monster Calls"
Angourie Rice in The Nice Guys (she's 15).
She held her own as an equal partner to Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, both of them no slouches in the acting department.
Wish teenage Kevin and Chiron could share the prize. But having to choose one for the win my pick is teenage Chiron.
(PS: Angourie Rice is going to be in Sofia Coppola's new version of The Beguiled).
My pick would be Ashton Sanders or Jharrel Jerome. And I hope the entire cast of Moonlight makes it in for a SAG Ensemble nomination.
@ adri - I liked Rice in the Nice Guys too. The prospect of a new Sofia Coppola movie with that cast is truly a bright spot on the horizon.
Elle Fanning could also be in the list for the role of Loretta Figgis in "Live by Night". This year was really strong for her.
I don't see how anyone has a chance with Lucas Hedges in.
Elle Fanning was terrible in Neon Demon - I wouldn't say "this year was really strong for her".
Anya Taylor-Joy was sooooooo good in The Witch.
I think my favorite of the bunch would be Alex Hibbert, though I kinda feel Madina Nalwanga from 'Queen Of Katwe' and Lucy Boynton from 'Sing Street' should be here.
I didn't notice earlier, but Julian Dennison of "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" is also missing from this list.
Lulu Wilson from Ouija: Origin of Evil is also missing
Royalty Hightower all the way. The two Chirons and teenage Kevin from Moonlight were also great.
Jovan Adepo and Saniyya Sidney, Fences
(although I can't find Adepo's age anywhere online)
(Oh, and little Saniyya's role and performance are not really on the same level as most of these FYCs but she gives Sunny Pawar a run for the money as Most Adorable.)
GIRLS
Elle Fanning - Neon Demon (the more I think about the movie, the more I appreciate her performance)
Royalty Hightower - The Fits
Alexis Nebblet - The Fits (a natural scene stealer)
*Anya Taylor-Joy - The Witch (winner)
Angourie Rice - The Nice Guys
BOYS
Markees Christmas - Morris From America Alex R Hibbert - Moonlight
Jharrel Jerome - Moonlight
Jaeden Lieberher - Midnight Special
*Ashton Sanders - Moonlight (winner)
Is Julian Dennison not eligible for 'Hunt for the Wilder People'? He was so funny, charming and naturally charming in that. And had great chemistry with Sam Neil.
Lucy Boynton from Sing Street is 22, so she isn't elegible. Boo. Silly category.
From what I've seen so far:
Royalty Hightower (The Fits) - Those transfixing eyes ... what a gift
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) - a miracle find
Michael Barbieri (Little Men) - that screaming match
Theo Taplitz (Little Men) - broke my heart with his big emotional scene
Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) - he should be in serious oscar contention but mostly that sequence starting at the beach and ending when he comes back home and finds his mom
I expect Lucas Hedges and Sunny Pawar to sweep these types of awards though
My picks are Markees Christmas, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Julian Dennison.
I haven't seen most of these, but I'd like to see the two LITTLE MEN boys, plus Angourie Rice for THE NICE GUYS.
Also missing: Harvey Scrimshaw (14) in The Witch
Doug -- ack. and i love that performance. Fixing now!
Anya Taylor-Joy and Jaeden Lieberher are two I'd definitely nominate. I won't be seeing Moonlight until tomorrow but I suspect the boy in that film will be wonderful too.
Royalty Hightower for sure. Plus Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert and Sunny Pawar. I also really liked Jharrell Jerome. This is a stacked category! Haven't seen The Witch yet. I wonder if the two Chirons will get in if the film is top of mind. I'm sure Lucas Hedges will make it in as well.
Anya Taylor-Joy for THE WITCH (she is beyond incredible!) and then a three-way tie for the boys: Michael Barbieri for LITTLE MEN (pure ball of energy, it's fitting that he wants to be an actor), Ashton Sanders for MOONLIGHT (his breakdown after Kevin beats him up is heart-wrenching), and Harvey Scrimshaw for THE WITCH (that orgasmic exorcism scene though...).
I haven't seen enough of these to nominate more than 3, including Moonlight which I'm most looking forward to:
Girls:
Isler, Captain Fantastic
Nalwanga, Queen of Katwe
Tayler-Joy, The Witch
Guys:
Dennison, HFTW
Hamilton, Captain Fantastic
Scrimshaw, The Witch
Isler and Scrimshaw for the wins.
Angourice Rice or Anya Taylor-Joy for the girls and one of the two Moonlight boys for the boys.
I hate to pick someone in a blockbuster, but I'd go with Tom Holland. That movie was such a chore to sit through - but he was a delight and very much on point for the character.
Sadly, have yet to see Captain Fantastic or Little Men, but am looking forward to both.
My top 5
Hailee Steinfeld - Edge of 17
Angourie Rice - Nice Guys
Anya Taylor-Joy - The VVitch
Madison Wolfe - The Conjuring 2
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo - Sing Street <3
Angourie Rice, "The Nice Guys"
Royalty Hightower, "The Fits"
Madina Nalwanga, "Queen of Katwe"
Hailee Steinfeld, "Edge of Seventeen"
Anya Taylor Joy, "The Witch"
Elle Fanning, "20th Century Women"
Lucas Hedges, "Manchester by the Sea"
Julian Dennison, "The Hunt for the Wilderpeople"
Neel Sethi, "The Jungle Book"
Ashton Sanders, "Moonlight"
Markees Christmas, "Morris From America"
Last Spot
Lewis McDougal, "A Monster Calls"--Sunny Pawar, "Lion"--Lucas Jade Zuman, "20th Century Women"
Any one of those three last guys all equally deserve a spot
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo!
The "Moonlight" guys, Sunny Pawar, and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo get my vote for the boys. They were amazing. I would squeeze in Harvey Scrimshaw too from "The Witch." Nicholas Hamilton in "Captain Fantastic," I thought, was awful. His performance was merely pouting the entire time, and the character seemed more like he was raised in the suburbs rather than the woods of the Pacific Northwest.
@Doug - good call! I somehow forgot about the other kids in The Witch when typing my list, but Scrimshaw was great. He really nailed his BIG SCENE.
If I had to come to a final lineup (6 actors)
* Elle Fanning - "20th Century Women" (because of Oscar buzz, The Neon Demon would be my personal choice for her)
* Anya Taylor-Joy - "The Witch"
* Lucas Hedges - "Manchester by the Sea"
* Ashton Sanders - "Moonlight"
* Ruby Barnhill - "The BFG"
* Hailee Steinfeld - "The Edge of Seventeen"
COULD SURPRISE
Nicholas Hamilton - "Captain Fantastic"
My predictions for who will get nominated:
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Alex R. Hibbert, Moonlight
Lewis MacDougall, A Monster Calls
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Sing Street
Lucas Hedges wins in a cakewalk.
OMG I just finished watching Little Men. Both young men are a revelation. Wish this film had received more attention. Wish the BFC had listened to Nat. So much to see beyond the same old names.