Academy Awards will soon recognize this new award category (& it will go live at the 2028 Oscars for the first time)

The Academy Awards will soon recognize a new award category. The category is none other than Best Stunt Design. This category shall be added in the forthcoming Oscars in the year 2028.

It was long overdue that the Academy Awards had to recognize the rich, immense contribution of the people associated with stunt design in the films. The films that shall make their releases in 2027 shall be esteemed at the 2028 Oscars, which shall also mark the 100th year of the existence of the Academy Awards.

Let us find out more details about the Best Stunt Design category at the Academy Awards.

Academy Awards will soon recognize this new award category, at the 2028 Oscars

Tom Cruise, the OG stuntman in Hollywood | Image via @Youtube/ParamountPictures

The fresh new category that shall be recognized by the Oscars is Best Stunt Design. It shall commence at the 100th year of the Academy Awards, in the year 2028. This is groundbreaking as well as a historic moment in cinema, indeed.

The addition of this category has been much needed as well as long-awaited, as the people associated with stunt design have been a massive, strong force in the creation of cinema across history. Stunts have been such an important part of films for decades, and it is time that the art, rigor, and fervor put on by the stunt design community had to be honored and celebrated on a grand scale.

Over a hundred professionals in stunts are a part of the production and technology branch of the Oscars.

As per reports, the president of the Oscars, Janet Yang, and the CEO, Bill Kramer, spoke about the new category in the Academy by 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.”

As spoken to Variety, the President of the Stuntmen's Association, Jeff Wolfe, expressed his feelings upon the news, as he states:

"I can’t express enough how thrilled and proud we are to see the Academy recognize the art and craft of stunt action design with its own Oscar category. This is a historic moment for our community. For decades, stunt performers, coordinators, and action designers have played a crucial role in shaping the cinematic experience, often putting their bodies on the line to bring unforgettable moments to the screen. This recognition validates the passion, innovation, creativity and hard work that go into every fall, fight, and fireball. It’s not just a win for our industry — it’s a win for storytelling."

"A long history for so many of us", David Leitch on the new Oscars category

According to the reports, filmmaker David Leitch had spearheaded the action to address it to the Oscars to add the Best Stunt Design category. He was joined by Chris O'Hara and many others.

David Leitch, who made a film about a stuntman in his 2024 film The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, himself had begun working in stunt design in his career before making films.

David Leitch talks about it by saying:

“Stunts are essential to every genre of film and rooted deep in our industry’s history—from the groundbreaking work of early pioneers like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin, to the inspiring artistry of today’s stunt designers, coordinators, performers, and choreographers.”

“This has been a long journey for so many of us. Chris O’Hara and I have spent years working to bring this moment to life, standing on the shoulders of the stunt professionals who’ve fought tirelessly for recognition over the decades. We are incredibly grateful. Thank you, Academy.”

Historically, the stunt professionals who have been awarded the Oscars throughout the years have only been in two instances. One was in 1966, with Yakima Canutt winning the Honorary Award. And then years later, in 2012, when Hal Needham had won as well.

In the next year, 2026, a fresh category shall be recognized at the Oscars too. The category is for Best Casting. In the year 2002, the Academy Awards made a cutting-edge addition to their categories by recognizing Best Animated Feature.

It is indeed a matter of immense hope and growth as more and more artists are being recognized by the prestigious award ceremony, with the expansion in its categories.