Oscars Introduce New Best Stunt Design Award

After a century of being overlooked, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the addition of a long-awaited stunt design category to the Oscars. The Board of Governors confirmed that the Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will be introduced starting from the 2028 Oscars. The announcement, shared via The Academy's social media, featured iconic images from films like 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," as well as 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 qualify.

The 2028 Oscars will celebrate the 100th Academy Awards, making the introduction of this category even more significant. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang released a joint statement emphasizing the importance of stunt design in cinema. They stated, "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."

More details about the new category and its rules will be shared in 2027. The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design is a major milestone in the ongoing fight for recognition of stunt work in film. New categories for the Oscars are only voted on once a year, and a stunt coordination category was proposed annually from 1991 to 2012 but never passed.

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