Films released in 2027 will be eligible for the new Stunt Design Oscar, set to be debuted at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028.
Well, it’s about time.
In a long overdue moment, the Academy has announced that Stunt Design will be the latest award added to the Oscars, finally bringing the highest level of recognition to the brave and talented folks who make cinema such a thrill to watch. Momentum for has been growing for some time, with news emerging just over a year ago that the Academy was seriously deliberating bringing stunts into its annual awards ceremony.
The issue came to the fore again last year when it was announced that the Oscars would be adding a new casting award. While it was good to see that such a crucial part of the movie business is getting a greater share of the limelight, it also left many folks asking when stunt performers would get their own moment of recognition, especially since the art of stunt performance played a central role in building the very foundations of Hollywood’s early successes.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang had this to say in a joint statement:
“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking. We are proud to honour the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”
Read more: The Fall Guy review | A terrific rom-com, and a love letter to movie stunts
According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Leitch and stunt coordinator and designer Chris O’Hara of Stunts Unlimited led the charge to convince the academy to make the long overdue change. Leitch of course recently made The Fall Guy, which star Ryan Gosling described as 'just a giant campaign to get stunts an Oscar,’ and putting the stunt industry front and centre in such a high-profile movie wouldn’t have hurt at all, we’d imagine.
Leitch said in a statement:
“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.”
We’re already looking forward to 2027’s slate of films as stunt co-ordinators around the world dream up (or re-work) their stunt designs in order to try and win that first ever Stunt Design Oscar. More in a year or two…
