In what is an extremely long overdue announcement, the 100th Academy Awards ceremony will include Achievement in Stunt Design.

All I can say is that it’s about damn time! The Fall Guy, which took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, made the case for the award when it was released last spring. Today’s announcement follows the news in 2024 that the Academy would honor Achievement in Casting starting with films released in 2025.

Here’s an excerpt from what I wrote in my review of The Fall Guy:

Action films really do not get much better than The Fall Guy especially when it comes to showing off the stunt work. Of course, they get riskier the further we get into the film. Much of what they do in the film is practical. If you’re going to make a film about stuntmen, it must be authentic. There is a reason why many of us are pushing for a stunt ensemble category at the Oscars!

It’s not just films like The Fall Guy that made the case for a Stunt Design Oscar. April Wright’s documentary, Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story, also honored the world of stunt designers and performers. The Screen Actors Guild Awards first recognized the work of stunt performers and coordinators when they presented them at the 14th SAG Awards in 2007. Unfortunately, these two awards are always issued during the red carpet rather than from the stage. I’ll be curious to see what determines someone’s eligibility when there are so many stunt performers working on a picture.

Academy Establishes Stunt Design

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the creation of an annual competitive Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design, beginning with the 100th Academy Awards for 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.”

Category rules for eligibility and voting for the inaugural award will be announced in 2027 with the complete 100th Academy Awards Rules. The specifics of the award’s presentation will be determined by the Academy’s Board of Governors and executive leadership at a future date.

More than 100 stunt professionals are members of the Academy’s Production and Technology Branch.

The last new award category created was Achievement in Casting, established in 2024 and beginning with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.

A date for the 100th Academy Awards has not been announced.

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