The Oscars have done something the Academy too often resists: It listened.
On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the creation of a new competitive category for achievement in stunt design, set to debut at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. The category will honor films released in 2027. The news arrives just last year after the Academy’s historic announcement of a best casting category, which will be awarded for the first time at the 98th ceremony in 2026.
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The Academy has made its share of questionable decisions over the years (#RIP best popular film). There have been controversial winners, baffling snubs, hosting woes, and a long-standing reluctance to evolve with the times. But when they get it right, it’s worth pausing the criticism long enough to offer some well-earned applause.
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Two new categories in just over two years mark the most significant expansion of Oscar recognition since best animated feature was introduced in 2001 and the best picture lineup was expanded to 10 nominees in 2009 following the controversial “Dark Knight” snub. The addition of stunt design brings the total number of competitive categories to 25 — a thrilling signal that the Academy is embracing long-overdue change, driven not by trend, but by truth: These artists, who exist in every facet of our favorite movies, are essential to the storytelling process.
The stunt design category is the result of a years-long push led by director-producer David Leitch, whose résumé includes “The Fall Guy,” an entertaining tribute to the profession of stunt artisans. Leitch, a former stunt performer and coordinator himself, co-founded 87 North Productions with Kelly McCormick and has long championed the visibility of stunt professionals. Alongside industry leaders like Chris O’Hara of Stunts Unlimited, Leitch delivered several presentations to the Academy, ultimately leading to the Board of Governors’ vote of approval earlier this week.
It’s a huge win for the creative craftspeople who literally risk life and limb to create the action set pieces we cheer for in theaters.
These aren’t just overdue corrections. They’re bold affirmations of what Hollywood has always known but rarely rewarded: casting directors and stunt professionals are essential architects of movie magic.
It’s easy — and often fair — to criticize the Oscars for being behind the curve, or for their occasional missteps (best actor final award of the night, anyone?). But let’s also acknowledge their capacity for growth. In recent years, the Academy has expanded its membership, overhauled its voting processes, and begun embracing the global community of film. Not every swing lands, but at least they’re swinging.
At the same time, these updates raise questions about the Oscars broadcast itself. With 25 competitive categories (their current contract is reported to only allow 23), time constraints for the telecast remain a challenge — especially with ABC, the network partner, currently negotiating a renewal deal that happens to expire at the 100th telecast. One likely consequence? The three short film categories — animated short, documentary short and live action short — could be moved off the main broadcast.
There’s some logic to this. Shorts are the only categories whose winners are ineligible for best picture, acting, screenplay or any other major Oscar, due to their length. They also follow separate voting procedures: Documentary shorts are selected solely by the documentary branch; animated shorts by the animation branch (with opt-in voting from others); and live action shorts by the short films branch, which also allows opt-in participation.
As an awards die-hard, if it were up to me, the Oscars would be five hours long and include a tribute to every film with an anniversary. But as my wife often says when I try to make a decision: “That’s adorable. Now let’s do it my way.”
This segmented voting process, combined with the shorts’ niche footprint, makes them ideal candidates for recognition outside the main telecast — especially if it helps keep the ceremony focused and engaging for a broader audience.
That wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be an erasure, but rather a strategic repositioning. A natural new home for the shorts categories could be the Governors Awards, which celebrates lifetime achievement, humanitarian and honorary Oscar recipients, or even the Scientific and Technical Awards, which recognize off-camera innovation annually.
Of course, not every change should be about trimming.
Some areas of the Academy’s rulebook deserve expansion. For instance, the international feature category currently honors the submitting country, not the director — even though the director’s name is engraved on the Oscar statuette. That needs to change. Technically, Jonathan Glazer is not an Oscar winner for the United Kingdom’s “The Zone of Interest,” nor is Edward Berger for Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.” That’s a disservice to artistic leadership.
The Academy should also revisit its nominee limits. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was one of the year’s most celebrated animated features, but co-director Joaquim Dos Santos was left off the ballot due to a cap on credited filmmakers. Arbitrary rules shouldn’t hinder deserved recognition.
Are there more disciplines worth celebrating? Absolutely.
I’m still an advocate for motion-capture and voice performance (though the actors branch really needs to get over itself and embrace them), and choreography deserves attention too — perhaps as part of the stunt design category.
In the end, these two new categories are not just corrections — they’re signs that the Oscars are trying, imperfectly but earnestly, to honor the full picture of moviemaking. They heard the call. They made the change.
In “Whiplash,” J.K. Simmons’ volatile music teacher Terence Fletcher says, “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.'” At least for today, it’s okay to say it to the Academy.
