In 1974 , at the age of 13 , Moran was cast to play her best-known role , Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom '' Happy Days '' , the feisty younger sister of Richie Cunningham ( Ron Howard ) . Moran continued the role in 1982 , in the short-lived spin-off series '' Joanie Loves Chachi '' , alongside Scott Baio , although she later stated that she had only reluctantly agreed to star in the series ; she would have preferred to remain with '' Happy Days '' . She won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a New Television Series for her role . After '' Joanie Loves Chachi '' cancellation in 1983 , she returned to '' Happy Days '' for its final season
Young Artist Award
4th Youth in Film Awards
Erin Moran