Young Artist Award
33rd Young Artist Awards
The Young Artist Award statuette
Awarded for	Excellence of young performers in motion pictures, television, theatre, and music.
Presented by	Young Artist Foundation
Country	United States of America
First awarded	1979
Official website	YoungArtistAwards.org

The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth In Film Award) is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.^[1][2][3][4]

The Young Artist Foundation was the first organization to establish an awards ceremony specifically set to recognize and award the contributions of performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television, theater and music.^[1][5][6]

The 1st Youth In Film Awards ceremony was held in November 1979, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Hollywood to honor outstanding young performers of the 1978/1979 season.^[7][8] The most recent 33rd Annual Young Artist Awards ceremony, honoring young performers of the year 2011, was held at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California on May 6, 2012.^[9]

Young Artist Foundation[link]

The Young Artist Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) organization founded in 1978 by long-standing Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes) member Maureen Dragone and dedicated to presenting scholarships to physically and/or financially challenged aspiring young artists, allowing them to pursue a career in entertainment by attending a performing arts school of their choice.^[1][3][4] The scholarship program is funded exclusively by donations, one of its most prominent contributors being the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.^[3][10]

Young Artist Awards[link]

History[link]

The Young Artist Awards (also known as the YAA) are presented annually by the Young Artist Foundation. Originally known as the Youth In Film Awards for the first twenty years,^[8][11][12] the name was officially changed to the Young Artist Awards for the 21st annual awards ceremony in March 2000.^[1][12][13] Playfully referred to as the "Kiddie Oscars", the Young Artist Awards are regarded as young Hollywood's answer to the Academy Awards, recognizing children for their work within the entertainment industry.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}

First presented for the 1978-1979 entertainment season, the awards were envisioned by Maureen Dragone, as a way to honor talented young people in film, television and music who might otherwise be eclipsed by their adult co-stars.^[1][3][5] Two notable examples that year being young Ricky Schroder in The Champ and Justin Henry in Kramer vs. Kramer, who were each nominated for Golden Globes in the same categories as their adult counterparts.^[5][14] Originally held in November or December in its early years, the awards ceremony has traditionally taken place in March or April for more than 20 years.^{[8][19][20][21]}

Statuette[link]

The original Youth In Film Award was a statuette which bore a striking resemblance to a miniature Oscar.^[14][22] A gilded figure of a man holding a laurel wreath instead of a sword and standing upon a relatively large "trophy" style base.^[22] The more recognizable incarnation is the current Young Artist Award statuette, still reminiscent of a child-size Oscar, but now displaying a star above its head and standing upon a decidedly smaller base, much less cumbersome for its young recipients.^[23][24] In addition to the Young Artist Award statuette presented to the winners, all nominees are presented with a special nomination plaque at the ceremony, commemorating their nominations in their respective categories.^[25]

Voting[link]

Candidates considered for nomination must be between the ages of 5 and 21 and are usually submitted for consideration by producers or by the young artist's agent and/or manager.^[6][19] Submissions are traditionally due by the end of January to mid-February and nominees are announced about one month later at an annual nomination ceremony and party.^[6][19] Originally conceived of as a way to acknowledge young artists under the age of 21, the focus of the awards has shifted over time to focus primarily on young artists who were under the age of 18 at the time of principal production of the project for which they are nominated.^[5][7][14]

Winners are selected by members of the Young Artist Association.^[21] Originally known as the Hollywood Women's Photo and Press Club, and later, the Youth in Film Association, the general membership was originally composed of 88 journalists and photographers, who were active in various branches of the arts.^[7][8][26] Today, the Young Artist Association has a voting board of over 125 members composed of journalists, agents, and former child performers.^[14] Winners are selected by secret ballot of all associated with the Young Artist Association as well as former nominees.^[21]

Categories[link]

The various Young Artist Awards categories have evolved extensively since the first awards were presented. Originally beginning with only 11 competitive categories in 1979, the first categories included "Best Juvenile Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture", "Best Juvenile Actor and Actress in a TV Series or Special", "Best Juvenile Actor and Actress in a Daytime TV Series", and "Best Male and Female Juvenile Recording Artist", as well as competitive categories honoring studios and networks for "family friendly" films and television programming.^[5]

Over time, the competitive categories have been expanded to include "Best Young Actor and Actress in an International Feature Film", "Best Young Actor and Actress in a Short Film", "Best Young Supporting Actor and Actress in Film", "Best Young Ensemble Cast", "Best Young Recurring Actor and Actress in a TV Series", and "Best Young Guest-starring Actor and Actress in a TV Series", with many of the categories being split to acknowledge young artists age 10 and under in their own separate categories.^[27] In addition to its well known film and television awards, the association has also recognized the achievements of youth in other fields of the performing arts over the years, including theater, dance, commercials, journalism, radio and stand-up comedy.^[11][28][29]

Special Awards[link]

While many of the acting categories have been expanded over time, some early competitive categories such as "Best Juvenile Recording Artist", "Best Family Motion Picture" and "Best Family TV Series" have been phased out over the years, with accolades for those achievements now being bestowed in the form of special "Honorary" awards.^[27]

The foundation's most notable annual Honorary awards include the "Jackie Coogan Award", often presented to film studios, producers or directors for their "Outstanding Contribution To Youth Through Entertainment", and the "Former Child Star Award", presented as the foundation's "Lifetime Achievement Award" honoring former child stars for their achievements.^[30][31]

Ceremony[link]

The ceremony is held annually in Hollywood and has traditionally been considered one of the more formal children's awards ceremonies, with honorees and their chaperones "dressing-up" for the occasion, and arriving in limousines.^{[14][15][32][33]} All press is invited to attend the pre-show red carpet arrivals as young celebrity attendees make their entrances and sign autographs, and each year's presenters are often selected from the previous year's young winners or from that year's list of nominees.^{[14][15][18][25]} After the ceremony is the annual banquet dinner and then dancing with live musical entertainment often provided by talented young musical artists of the day.^{[14][15][16][24]}

The first Youth In Film Awards were presented in November 1979 at a banquet ceremony held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Hollywood, California.^[7][8] Subsequent venues over the years have included the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove, the Globe Theater, the Beverly Garland Hotel, and the Sportsmen's Lodge.^[27][21][34]

See also[link]

• Academy Juvenile Award
• Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer
• Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Young Artist Awards photographs at LIFE.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Renee Olstead
Olstead at Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Rebecca Renee Olstead
Born	(1989-06-18) June 18, 1989 (age 23) Kingwood, Texas, U.S.
Origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Actress, singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Renee LLC, 143, Reprise
Website	www.reneeolstead.com

Rebecca Renee Olstead (born June 18, 1989) is an American actress and singer. Active since childhood as an actress, she is best known for her roles in the TV sitcoms Still Standing as Lauren Miller and The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Madison Cooperstein. In addition, she has recorded five studio albums, primarily of jazz music.

Early life[link]

Olstead was born in Kingwood, Texas, to Christopher Eric Olstead and Rebecca Lynn Jeffries. Olstead is of Norwegian ancestry.^[1][2][3] As a child actress, she made films and commercials from age eight onwards. She also attended Centre Stage theatrical school and is mentioned on their website's alumni.

From 2002 to 2006, she appeared in the TV sitcom Still Standing as middle sister Lauren Miller. Olstead was presented the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy) - Supporting Young Actress for Still Standing in 2002. She also had a small part in the 2004 film 13 Going on 30. She is currently (2011) co-starring in the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, about fifteen year old Amy Juergens's struggle through her unexpected pregnancy and how it affects her peers. Olstead plays the character of Madison Cooperstein, who is one of Amy's best friends.

Music career[link]

In 2004, Olstead released an eponymous album of jazz songs and pop standards for Warner Bros. Records to good reviews: since her previous releases had had limited distribution, this album was considered her true debut. She subsequently performed in Berlin during the Live 8 concert on July 2, 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Olstead also recorded with trumpeter Chris Botti on his 2005 album To Love Again: The Duets and appeared on the 2006 DVD Chris Botti Live with Orchestra and Special Guests. Her singing style is influenced by such great jazz vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Reportedly, her musical talent was discovered by composer David Foster, who produced her 2004 album. She later also performed with Foster on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

A follow-up album entitled Skylark, also produced by Foster, was originally announced for release in 2005, but it was subsequently pushed back several times, with release dates in the summer of 2006 and early 2007 being mentioned on online retailers such as Amazon.com. It was then scheduled for a June 2008 release, but was delayed once again.^[4] It was finally released on January 27, 2009, nearly four years after it was originally announced.

Discography[link]

• Stone Country (2000)
• Unleashed (2000)
• By Request (2002)
• Renee Olstead (2004)
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (soundtrack) (2004)
• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (soundtrack) (2008)
• Skylark (2009)
• A Tribute to Billie Holliday (various artists) (2009)

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Renee Olstead's Official Website
• Renee Olstead's Official Fansite
• Renee Olstead at the Internet Movie Database

Chris Botti
Background information
Born	(1962-10-12) October 12, 1962 (age 49) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres	Jazz Smooth Jazz
Occupations	Trumpeter Radio presenter
Instruments	Trumpet
Labels	Columbia Records
Website	www.chrisbotti.com

Christopher Stephen "Chris" Botti (pronounced /ˈboʊti/ BOH-tee; born October 12, 1962), is an American trumpeter and composer.^[1] In 2007, Botti was nominated for two Grammy Awards^[2] including Best Pop Instrumental Album. On December 4, 2009, he was nominated for three more Grammy Awards including Best Pop Instrumental Album and Best Long Form Music Video. Three of his albums have reached the #1 position on the Billboard jazz albums chart.

Coming to prominence with the 2001 recording of his Night Sessions CD, Botti established a reputation as a versatile musician in both jazz and pop music for his ability to fuse both styles together.

Early life[link]

He was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Corvallis and spent two years of his childhood growing up in Italy. His earliest musical influence was his mother, a classically trained pianist and part-time piano teacher.^[3]

He started playing the trumpet at 9 years old, and committed to the instrument at age 12 when he heard Miles Davis play "My Funny Valentine."

In 1983, he was selected as a member of McDonalds’ All American High School Jazz band which marked his first Carnegie Hall performance.

At the age of 17, he ended up at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon by convincing his high school to allow him to fulfill his remaining senior year credits there. Botti constructed the scenario so that he could also play at Portland clubs in the evening. Mount Hood's program was headed by Larry McVey, whose band had come to be a proving ground and regular stop for Stan Kenton and Mel Tormé when they were looking for new players. It was here Botti played alongside his friend, trombonist and future Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Todd Field. After graduating from high school, Botti studied under jazz educator David Baker and trumpet professor Bill Adam at Indiana University. Botti was also the recipient of two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts which allowed him to study with trumpeter Woody Shaw and saxophonist George Coleman during two consecutive summer breaks.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Botti left Indiana University during his senior year for short touring stints with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich.^[4][5] In 1985, he moved to New York City to hone his craft as a studio musician.

In 1990, he began a decade long touring and recording relationship with Paul Simon which broadened his exposure to other singers. During that period, he also performed/recorded with Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, Scritti Politti, Roger Daltrey and others.

On August 15, 1991, Botti performed with Paul Simon in New York’s Central Park as part of the The Rhythm of the Saints tour. The performance was commercially released as the Concert in the Park CD. While on tour with Simon, he met saxophonist Michael Brecker, which led to Botti producing the Brecker Brothers’ Out of the Loop. The album won a 1995 Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance.

Verve recordings (1995-2000)[link]

Botti's solo debut, First Wish, was released in 1995; his second effort, Midnight Without You, which included a collaboration with Blue Nile vocalist Paul Buchanan, appeared in 1997. These were followed by Slowing Down The World in 1999^[6] which included vocal contributions from Sting and Jonatha Brooke (also on the Midnight Without You release).

Botti was also a member of Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, a more experimental, jazz fusion-oriented group. He composed the score and recorded a soundtrack for the 1996 film Caught.^[7]

In 1999, Botti was invited to tour with Sting as a featured soloist in the Brand New Day tour. The two-year run culminated in All This Time, a CD/DVD-taping and webcast performance from Sting’s estate in Tuscany on September 11, 2001. Botti attributes his relationship with Sting as having changed the course of his career.^[8]

Columbia recordings (2001-present)[link]

Botti was introduced to Columbia by Bobby Colomby, drummer and founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, who went on to become his producer and manager. Botti’s first Columbia release was Night Sessions in 2001. This was followed in 2002 by December, a holiday album, which included an original composition by Richard Marx. The project represented the only time Botti has performed vocals on two tracks.^[9]

A Thousand Kisses Deep, was released in 2003 and contained a group of originals and covers that accent Botti’s crossover appeal as both a jazz and pop musician.^[10]

When I Fall In Love followed in 2004, which featured a more traditional sound^[11] than its predecessor.

To Love Again: The Duets, released in 2005, continued where the previous album left off with more lush orchestral jazz via the London Session Orchestra, this time showcasing guest vocalists — as well as a handful of instrumental tracks.^[12]

In May 2005, Botti was invited to perform at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball weekend honoring her African American heroines.^[13] In 2006, Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein & Heitor Pereira won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" (Chris Botti & Sting) from Botti's album To Love Again - The Duets.^[14] 2006 also marked his first PBS collaboration, Chris Botti Live: With Orchestra and Special Guests, released in early 2006. The CD and platinum-certified DVD included duets with Sting, Burt Bacharach, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott and Renee Olstead.^[15]

On September 25, 2007, Botti released an album entitled Italia. The album places focus on Botti's Italian roots through such songs as "Ave Maria", "Venice", "Estatè", and the title track "Italia", on which he partnered with Andrea Bocelli. In December 2007, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Botti also performed the song with Bocelli during the 2007 edition of the Teatro del Silenzio, which was released on DVD titled Vivere Live in Tuscany, in 2008.

Early in 2009, Botti released his second CD/DVD PBS project, Chris Botti in Boston. Performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Botti shared the stage with Yo Yo Ma, Steven Tyler, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, John Mayer, Sting and others.

By June 2009, Chris Botti had released twelve solo albums. His first few releases are often classified as smooth jazz, though critic Alex Henderson argues that Botti's music was a cut above much of the genre; reviewing his 1999 album, Slowing Down the World, Henderson writes "it would be a major mistake to lump it in with... outright elevator muzak ... Botti is capable of a lot more."^[16] That same year as well as the following year, Botti appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

In media[link]

Botti was the leader of the house band on the nationally syndicated daytime talk show The Caroline Rhea Show for its only season in 2002-2003. He was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 2004.

For several years, Botti also hosted a radio show called Chill with Chris Botti, that focused mainly on "chill" music, which is described as "smooth jazz with a touch of cool jazz." In 2007, saxophonist Mindi Abair took over the hosting duties, and the show, using the same format as before, is now called Chill with Mindi Abair. With the success of To Love Again, Botti hosted a special concert at the Wilshire Theatre in Los Angeles in December 2005 with many of the guest artists from the CD. It was recorded for airing on PBS in Spring 2006 as Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra and Special Guests, which also was released as a DVD.^{[citation needed]}

Instrument[link]

Botti plays a Martin Committee large bore Handcraft trumpet made in 1939, and uses a #3 silver plated mouthpiece from Bach made in 1926, having recently retired his 1920 3C Bach mouthpiece. He uses a Leblanc Vacchiano Harmon mute from the 1950s.^[17]

Discography[link]

Verve label[link]

• First Wish (1995)
• Midnight Without You (1997)
• Slowing Down the World (1999)

Columbia label[link]

• Night Sessions (2001)
• The Very Best of Chris Botti (2002)
• December (2002) #124 US
• A Thousand Kisses Deep (2003)
• When I Fall in Love (2004) #37 US
• To Love Again: The Duets (2005) #18 US
• Live: With Orchestra and Special Guests (2006)
• Italia (2007) #27 US
• Chris Botti in Boston (2009) #13 US
• This Is Chris Botti (2011)
• Impressions (2012) #32 US, #62 CAN

See also[link]

Jazz portal

• 20th century brass instrumentalists
• List of trumpeters
• List of jazz trumpeters

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Botti

• Official website
• Discography
• Chill with Chris Botti Radio Show
• About.com Interview with Chris Botti
• Chris Botti interview with Joanna Gulbinska
• Music Man Chris Botti's Playlist - Nightline, May 29, 2009 (lists his 5 favorite musical influences)

Bella Thorne
Thorne at the Movieguide 2012 Awards Gala Red Carpet
Background information
Birth name	Annabella Avery Thorne[1]
Born	(1997-10-08) October 8, 1997 (age 14) Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Dance-pop, electropop
Occupations	Actress, singer, model, Dancer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2003–present (actress) 2011–present (singer)
Labels	Walt Disney
Associated acts	Zendaya
Website	bellathorneofficial.com

Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne (born October 8, 1997) is an American teen actress, dancer, singer, and model. She is a child model and actor with appearances in more than 20 films and television series and more than 60 commercials, she is best known for her role as the aspiring young dancer CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up!.

Early life[link]

Bella Thorne was born on October 8, 1997, in Pembroke Pines, Florida.^[2] She is the youngest of four children, the others being Kaili (born in 1992), Dani (born in 1993), and Remy (born in 1995), who are also actors and models.^[2] Thorne, who is of Italian, Cuban, and Irish descent, spoke Spanish as her first language, although she has forgotten it.^[3]

Career[link]

Thorne's first film appearance was an uncredited role as a sidelines fan in the 2003 film Stuck on You. She has since appeared in film and television projects including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Entourage, The O.C. (as a younger version of Taylor Townsend), the third-last episode of October Road (as Angela Ferilli, the pre-adolescence crush of the main characters; her older brother Remy also guest-starred in the same episode as a younger Eddie Latekka), and five episodes of Dirty Sexy Money (as Margaux Darling).^[4] In 2007 Thorne appeared as a young girl plagued by supernatural visions in The Seer.

In 2008, Thorne starred alongside Christian Slater and Taylor Lautner in the short-lived drama series My Own Worst Enemy, for which she won a Young Artist's Award for her portrayal of the character Ruthy Spivey; Thorne described her Enemy casting as a major breakthrough as this was the first recurring role in her career. She then appeared in the ten-episode web series Little Monk, which depicted characters from the series Monk as children. In 2009, she filled the role of the vengeful antagonist in the horror film Forget Me Not.^[5]

In 2010, Thorne joined the cast of HBO's Big Love in its fourth season, replacing Jolean Wejbe in the role of Bill Henrickson's daughter Tancy 'Teeny' Henrickson (though she had actually auditioned for a different role). She also guest starred on Wizards of Waverly Place, as Max's girlfriend Nancy Lukey.^[2] In addition, Thorne took on a supporting role in the family drama Raspberry Magic.

Thorne enjoyed an extensive career as a child model. Since appearing in her first pictorial for a parenting magazine at the age of 6 weeks, Thorne has starred in television ad campaigns for Digital Light Processing, Publix, and KFC, and appearing in print ads for brands including Barbie, ALDO K!DS, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, Kaiya Eve Couture, LaSenza Girl, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Guess?, Target, Justice and Mudd for Kohls. She also modelled for Sears back to school.^[2] In an interview with Seventeen magazine, Thorne described her appointment as the spokesperson for Texas Instruments as her big break, but admitted that she has lost much more projects than she has booked and credited the support of her family for helping her get over disappointments.

Thorne currently co-stars on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up!, (originally titled Dance, Dance Chicago). Thorne plays CeCe Jones, a dancer with heavy ambitions for a career in the spotlight.^[6] The show is a buddy comedy centered around a teen dance show (in a show-within-a-show format) co-starring Thorne and Zendaya.^[7] The multi-camera series began production in Hollywood, California, in July 2010 and premiered on November 7, 2010 on Disney Channel. While she had a substantial portfolio of work in television and film, Thorne had no experience in professional dancing before being cast. After signing onto the show in October 2009, she began taking three dance classes every night.^[8]

Personal life[link]

Originally from Pembroke Pines, Florida, Thorne has been living with her family in California since early 2006.^[2] Her interests include dancing, playing soccer, spending time with her family and playing with her two dogs, a Cocker Spaniel and a wolf hybrid, six cats and a turtle.^[2] She also admits to being a collector of hardcover books, listening to 1980s music, and using YouTube as a research tool for getting into character. Thorne is an avid supporter of the Humane Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and The Nomad Organization, which provides education, food and medical supplies to children in Africa.^[2][5]

Thorne lost her father to a vehicle accident in 2007.^[5] Thorne disclosed her father's death in a live interview on the local television talk show "View from the Bay" in December 2008.^[5]

Thorne was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade.^[5] She is currently being home-schooled after previously attending a public school, where she had suffered peer abuse.^[5] Thorne improved in her learning after attending a Sylvan Learning center and is currently reading and writing a grade ahead.^[5][8][9] Thorne also talked about her dyslexia in an April 2010 interview with American Cheerleader Magazine, and explained that she overcame her dyslexia by rigorously reading everything she could find, including the labels of cereal boxes.^[10][11]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Soundtrack albums[link]

Singles[link]

As featuring artist[link]

Other appearances[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bella Thorne

• Official website
• Bella Thorne at the Internet Movie Database
• Thorne Kids at Life.com

Patti LuPone
LuPone (left) with Chris Burke, February 2010
Born	Patti Ann LuPone (1949-04-21) April 21, 1949 (age 63) Northport, New York, U.S.
Education	Juilliard (BFA 1972)
Occupation	Singer, actress
Years active	1970s — Present
Spouse	Matthew Johnston (1988–present)
Children	Joshua Luke Johnston (b. 1990)
Website
PattiLuPone.net

Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables.