Oscars to Finally Add Best Stunt Design Award

After a century of being overlooked, the film industry is set to celebrate stunt design with a dedicated Oscar category. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced that the Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will debut at the 2028 Oscars. This exciting news was shared across The Academy's social media platforms, featuring iconic stunt scenes from 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 onwards will have a chance at this prestigious recognition.

The 2028 Oscars will also mark a historic milestone as the 100th Academy Awards. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their enthusiasm in a joint statement, saying, “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.”

Further details and rules for the new category will be announced in 2027. The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design represents a significant triumph in the ongoing struggle for recognition of stunt work in film. The Oscars typically 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 new category added to the Oscars was Achievement in Casting, approved last year and set to be awarded starting with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.