After years of stuntwork largely being overlooked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Oscars are about to add a new category. Today, the Academy announced that it intends to start giving out Oscar statues for stunt design starting with films released in 2027 for the awards ceremony’s 100th anniversary.
“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement about the new category. “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 Academy has yet to announce any other eligibility rules for films that will be nominated in the new category. “The specifics of the award’s presentation will be determined by the Academy’s Board of Governors and executive leadership at a future date,” according to the Academy’s press release.
Though over 100 stunt workers are currently members of the Academy’s Production and Technology Branch, as The Hollywood Reporter notes, the organization has only ever given out two (honorary) Oscars to stunt performers. Now that the new category has been established, we’re probably going to start seeing studios putting a lot more emphasis on their projects’ death-defying set pieces.
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