Oscars to introduce award for stunt design at 100th ceremony
For the first time in its history, the Academy Awards will include a competitive category honoring the art of stunt design, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the new award will debut at the 100th Oscars in 2028, recognizing films released in 2027.
“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “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.”
The new category comes after years of advocacy from within the industry. Director David Leitch, a former stuntman who worked on John Wick and The Fall Guy, played a key role in the campaign alongside veteran coordinator Chris O’Hara.
“This has been a long journey for so many of us,” Leitch said. “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.”
Category rules for eligibility and voting will be announced in 2027, along with the full guidelines for the 100th Academy Awards. The Academy’s Board of Governors will decide how the award will be presented.
The most recent addition to the Oscars before this was the Achievement in Casting category, introduced in 2024.
While the Emmys and SAG Awards have long acknowledged stunt work, the new Oscar category marks a significant step in recognizing the creative and technical contributions of stunt professionals in film.
Earlier, it was reported that the New York Film Academy (NYFA) branch became the third to open outside the U.S. and the first world-class creative university to be established in Kazakhstan.
