After a century of being overlooked, the film industry is set to celebrate the artistry of stunt design with a new category at the Oscars. 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 introduced starting at the 2028 Oscars. This exciting news was shared on The Academy's social media platforms, highlighted by images from acclaimed films such as 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "RRR," and 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." However, these films won't be eligible for the new award; only movies released in 2027 and beyond will qualify.
The 2028 Oscars will mark a historic milestone as the 100th Academy Awards. In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their enthusiasm, stating, "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."
Details regarding the specifics and rules of the new category will be released in 2027.
The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design represents a major triumph in the long and challenging fight for recognition of stunt work in cinema. The Oscars typically consider new categories just once a year, and although a stunt coordination category was proposed annually from 1991 to 2012, it never gained approval. The most recent addition to the Oscars was the Achievement in Casting category, approved last year and set to be awarded starting with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.
