After a century of being overlooked, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the introduction of a new Oscar category for stunt design, set to debut at the 2028 Oscars. This significant development was shared via The Academy's social media platforms, featuring iconic stunt scenes from films like "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022), "RRR" (2022), and "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" (2011). 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 celebrate the 100th Academy Awards, making the introduction of this category even more historic. In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang emphasized the importance of stunt design in cinema, 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 inclusion of an Oscar for stunt design is a landmark achievement, marking the end of a long and arduous campaign for recognition of stunt work in film. The Oscars only consider new categories once a year, and while 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.
