Oscar Stunt Design Award Coming in 2028 — Industry Reacts

• The Academy has created an Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design.
• It debuts at the 100th Oscars in 2028, covering films released in 2027.
• David Leitch and Chris O’Hara led the final push for the category inside the Academy.

Posted: April 10, 2026

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially established an Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design, set to debut at the 100th Oscars ceremony in 2028 for films released in 2027. The announcement caps decades of advocacy from stunt professionals who have shaped some of cinema's most iconic moments without formal recognition from the Academy.

Director and former stunt performer David Leitch, along with stunt coordinator and designer Chris O'Hara, led the final push within the Academy. Leitch noted he and his wife spent five years accelerating a process that had been discussed for much longer.

The Hollywood Reporter explores how the new category could fundamentally change how action is designed in Hollywood. With a dedicated Oscar on the line, stunt designers may push even harder for ambitious, innovative practical action — raising the bar across the industry.

In a feature from The Credits (MPAA), stunt legends shared what the new category means to them, calling it "an incredible, long-overdue milestone" and "a validation of a craft that demands extraordinary skill, vision, creativity, and risk."

Sources: Hollywood Reporter — Academy Establishes Stunt Design Award · Hollywood Reporter — A Best Stunt Oscar Could Drive Designers to Up the Ante · The Credits — Behind the Bruises: Stunt Legends on the New Oscar Category · Deadline — Oscars Adding Stunt Category

Learn more on IMDb: David Leitch · Chris O’Hara