After a century of being overlooked, the film industry is set to celebrate the art 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 through The Academy's social media channels, featuring 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, as only movies released in 2027 and beyond will qualify.
The 2028 Oscars will be a historic event, marking 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." More detailed rules and specifics about the new category will be released in 2027.
The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design is a significant milestone in the long and arduous fight 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.
