An Emotional Elle Fanning Leads Youth Contingent at 2011 Young Hollywood Awards

"That was really nice!" exclaimed 13-year-old Elle Fanning at Friday night's Young Hollywood Awards, where the actress picked up Actress of the Year honors. Presented the award by film legend Francis Ford Coppola (he cast her in his next film, Twixt Now and Sunrise, after seeing her in daughter Sofia's Somewhere), Fanning brought the house down at L.A. Live by doing what more seasoned actors might have held back. She cried.

Overcome with emotion at the honor of having one of America's greatest living directors introduce her with fatherly affection at her first major awards acceptance, Fanning was grateful, graceful, and adorably childlike. These are the Young Hollywood Awards, yes, but it's easy to forget the "youth" part of it all when teenagers are trotting the red carpet like seasoned couturehounds. Moments like this, with Fanning genuinely verklemt at the podium (see it for yourself May 26, when the Young Hollywood Awards air on ION Television at 9pm ET/PT), bring the spectacle back to its essence -- the celebration of young talent on the rise among Hollywood's under-30 set.

Among the youngest of the young on hand: Fanning, 13; Hailee Steinfeld, 14; Super 8's Riley Griffiths and Ryan Lee, both 13.

[Click for Movieline's red carpet gallery from the 13th Annual Young Hollywood Awards.]

Given 2010's crop of roles for young people, this year's honorees represented a deep field of talent. Garrett Hedlund received the Actor of the Year award (Film), receiving his award from Tron: Legacy cast-mate Michael Sheen; Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld got a surprise when Jeff Bridges, her True Grit co-star, showed up to fete her.

More highlights from the 13th annual Young Hollywood Awards:

Elle Fanning: "There are so many great young actresses out there, and I'm just so happy that you guys gave this to me tonight and chose me, that was really nice! Thank you to Sofia [Coppola] and J.J. [Abrams] for giving me the opportunity to do all these really exciting and cool movies. I'll never forget the feelings that I had when I was asked to even go meet them, not to mention that I actually got to be in their films. Just thank you guys so much, Young Hollywood, and of course to Francis again for coming and doing this for me... it was really nice."

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Aaron Sorkin's set-up, prior to introducing Armie Hammer: "When I learned I'd be doing this I sent a note to David Fincher, our director on The Social Network, to see if he'd like to add any thoughts of his own to this introduction, and the following email ensued:

David to me: 'Jesus Christ, they're still giving out awards?'

Me to David: 'Yes.'

David to me: 'And what award are they giving to Jughead?'

Me to David: 'Young Hollywood's Male Star of Tomorrow.'

David to me: 'He just starred in a Clint Eastwood movie opposite Leonardo di Caprio and he's about to play The Lone Ranger opposite Johnny Depp. His career is not doing too bad today.'"

And:

"It's my pleasure to welcome to the stage one of the nicest men I've ever known and two of the finest actors I've ever worked with: Armie Hammer!"

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Aziz Ansari roasting fellow comic Dan Levy: Dan Levy fun facts: I could go through Dan's list of accomplishments as a comedian but I thought it would be more interesting to share some things about Dan that only I, Aziz Ansari, know. First off, Dan went through a phase where he went through a lot of velour. When asked about this time in his life, Dan referred to it as really comfortable. ... one of Dan's best friends is a magician named Justin Credible who also hosts Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. This is a real person Dan has kept in contact with for seven years. A guy that deals primarily in magic and cupcakes."

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Camilla Belle: (On her fashion sense, inherited from her mother.) "Me being an only child and a female, she got sick and tired of me not caring about clothes and said, 'That's it, we're going to Paris and you're seeing fashion for what it really is!' She took me to my first Fashion Week when I was 18 years old and really changed everything for me."

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Eva Mendes on the Art of Elysium, introduced to her by Joaquin Phoenix. "My first day volunteering at All Saints Hospital I had the incredible pleasure of meeting the creative force that is David Anguiano." Mendes presented Anguiano with the Everyday Heroes award via the arts nonprofit group.

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SPOTTED: The NBA's Ron Artest and Armie Hammer hitting the red carpet side-by-side, then exchanging pleasantries within. More with Artest at Movieline this week.

SPOTTED: Two of the adorable Super 8 kids wandering through the crowded after party, one of the firsts they've enjoyed in their brief careers so far.

Get photos from the Young Hollywood Awards here and stay tuned for more leading up to the televised air date May 26.