Oscars Adds Best Stunt Design Award

After a century of being overlooked, the Oscars are set to introduce a new category for stunt design, marking a significant milestone in film recognition. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced that an Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will be awarded starting from the 2028 Oscars. This exciting news was shared via The Academy's social media platforms, featuring images from notable films such as 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," as well as 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol."

Regrettably, these films won't be eligible for the new award as only movies released in 2027 and beyond will qualify. The introduction of this award coincides with the 100th Academy Awards in 2028.

In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their enthusiasm: “Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking. 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.”

Additional details and the specific rules for this new category will be disclosed in 2027.

The establishment of an Oscar for stunt design represents a major triumph after a long and arduous campaign for recognition of stunt work in cinema. The Oscars consider new categories only once a year, and a previous proposal for a stunt coordination category was repeatedly rejected from 1991 to 2012.

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.