Oscars Adds Best Stunt Design Award

After a century of being overlooked, the film industry is set to honor the unsung heroes of cinema with a new Oscar category for stunt design. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced that the Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will be introduced at the 2028 Oscars, marking a historic milestone as the 100th Academy Awards.

The announcement, shared through The Academy's social media channels, featured iconic images from films such as 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," alongside 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." However, these films won't be eligible for the new award; only movies released in 2027 and onwards will be considered.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their enthusiasm in a joint statement, emphasizing the integral role stunt design has played in cinema from its earliest days. "We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion," they stated.

Further details and the rules governing the new category will be announced in 2027.

The introduction of the stunt design Oscar is a significant achievement, culminating a long and arduous campaign for recognition of stunt work in film. The Oscars typically consider new categories only once a year, and despite annual proposals for a stunt coordination category from 1991 to 2012, none were successful until now.

The most recent addition to the Oscars was the Achievement in Casting category, approved last year and set to debut at the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.