After a century of being overlooked, the Oscars are set to introduce a long-awaited category for stunt design, as confirmed by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The inaugural Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will be presented at the 2028 Oscars, marking a historic milestone as the 100th Academy Awards. Although films like 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," along with 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" were highlighted in the announcement, only movies released in 2027 and onwards will be eligible for this prestigious new award.
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." More detailed rules and specifics for the new category are expected to be released in 2027.
The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design represents a significant victory following a prolonged and hard-fought battle for recognition of stunt work in film. The Oscars have historically been slow to introduce new categories, with proposals for a stunt coordination category being rejected annually 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.
