Oscars Introduce New Best Stunt Design Award

After a century of being overlooked, a long-awaited stunt design category is finally being added to the Oscars.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that an Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will officially be awarded starting from the 2028 Oscars. The announcement, shared via The Academy's social media, was accompanied by images from 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," as well as 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." Regrettably, these films will not be eligible for the new award, as only movies released in 2027 and beyond will qualify.

The 2028 Oscars will celebrate the 100th Academy Awards.

"Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking," stated Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement. "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."

Further details and the rules for the new category will be disclosed in 2027.

The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design represents a significant victory in the long and hard-fought battle for recognition of stunt work in film. New categories for the Oscars are voted on annually, and although a category for stunt coordination was proposed every year from 1991 to 2012, it was never approved.

The most recent new award category created for the Oscars was Achievement in Casting, approved last year and set to begin with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.