Academy Awards to Honor Stunt Design with New Category in 2028

After decades of oversight, a dedicated stunt design category will debut at the Oscars in 2028.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors announced today that a new Academy Award for outstanding stunt design will be presented starting at the 2028 Oscars. The Academy shared the news on social media, highlighting films like 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, RRR, and 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

However, films released before 2027 will not be eligible for this new award.

The 2028 Oscars will celebrate the 100th Academy Awards.

“Stunt design has been a cornerstone of filmmaking since its earliest days,” stated Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang in a joint release. “We are thrilled to recognize the creativity and skill of these artists and commend their dedication to achieving this historic milestone.”

Details and rules for the new category will be finalized in 2027.

The introduction of a stunt design Oscar represents a major triumph in a decades-long struggle to acknowledge the artistry of stunt work in cinema. New Oscar categories are considered only once a year. A stunt coordination category was pitched annually from 1991 to 2012 but never gained approval.

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