Poonam Nath

Oscars to introduce new stunt design award at 100th ceremony

Digital Desk: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hand out a competitive Oscar for stunt design at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028, honouring work from films released in 2027. This is a significant milestone for the stunt community, which has long pushed for recognition at Hollywood's largest awards presentation.

David Leitch, a director and former stunt performer known for films such as John Wick and Bullet Train, led the initiative, representing stunt workers in a formal attempt to establish the category.

Leitch, together with Chris O'Hara of Stunts Unlimited and other industry professionals, presented the Academy with numerous recommendations, which were approved by the Board of Governors on Thursday.

The Academy's CEO, Bill Kramer, and President, Janet Yang, praised the action as long overdue. "Stunt design has been an integral aspect of cinema since its inception. "We're proud to celebrate the artists who created this work and recognize their contributions to filmmaking," they stated in a joint statement.

The stunt design prize marks the second new Oscar category in recent years. A casting award was announced in 2024 and will be presented at the 98th Academy Awards next year.

Details on the stunt category's eligibility standards and voting processes will be announced in 2027, along with the full rulebook for the centenary Oscars. The structure of the award's presentation is currently being considered by Academy authorities.