Oscar Time: best young actresses

It's awards season in the movie world and excitement is building now for the Oscars with the release of the nominations yesterday.

Saoirse Ronan

     I was particularly pleased with the Leading Actress nominations, which included Brie Larsson (who I hope will win the award) for Room, and a second nomination for Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn. Still called by some a 'newcomer' or an 'unknown' Saoirse has for a long time been a superb actress in my opinion. Her first academy award nomination was for best supporting actress in Atonement, nine years ago, when she was just 13. Since then she has also put in great performances in films such as Hanna, The Lovely Bones, The Way Back and The Grand Budapest Hotel. She also has two Golden Globes nominations and three BAFTA nominations and it surely can't be long until she finally wins one.

Thinking about Saoirse made me consider other excellent, young, female performers from recent years. From the list I drew up only two have yet won a top award, and only one has received an Oscar.


Anna Paquin: The Piano, Fly Away Home, X-Men - Anna has won one Golden Globe and the only Oscar she has been nominated for - a Best Supporting Award for her role in The Piano, aged 11.

Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan: An Education, Never Let Me Go, Drive, The Great Gatsby - Carey has one Oscar and one Golden Globe nomination for An Education, however she won the BAFTA of Best Leading Actress, for the same film.


Abigail Breslin: Little Miss Sunshine, Definitely Maybe, My Sister's Keeper - Abigail was nominated at the age of 10 for Little Miss Sunshine by both the Oscars and the BAFTAs, but didn't win either.


Mia Wasikowska: Defiance, Alice in Wonderland, Tracks - Mia is yet to even receive a nomination for any of the top awards.

Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley: The Descendants, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars - Shailene was nominated by the Golden Globes for her role in The Descendants and also by the BAFTAs for the Rising Star award last year, but didn't win.


Keisha Castle-Hughes: Whale Rider, The Nativity Story - Keisha is certainly the least known actress on this list, but did receive an Oscar nomination for Whale Rider aged 14.


Maybe their lack of awards suggests I'm not watching the best movies, but I don't think so. Hopefully all of these actresses, and more, will continue to put on great performances that will see them honoured with awards in years to come.