It’s been a long-standing argument among both filmmakers and movie fans that stunt performers don’t get enough credit. Their work is designed to wow audiences, but the performers are largely supposed to go unnoticed. Perhaps this is why the Oscars have failed to recognize stuntwork for nearly 100 years, but that’s about to change, as a new category has been announced. Despite that, actor Tom Hardy has mixed feelings on the matter.
A report surfaced in 2024 that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences was considering a stunt category. With that, it was exciting when the organization recently announced that its intention to add an award dedicated to stunt design, which will be given away for the first time at the 2028 awards ceremony. Tom Hardy has appeared in movies with incredible stunt work in the past and spoke to Extra and was asked about the category. He was clearly very happy that the Oscars took this first step, but he still wants more. He explained…
You need two or three categories, actually. When I saw it, I was like 'At last!' But it's like 'Um, it's not enough' to be fair, if we're really being honest. It's a good start. Brilliant, and about time. Now, the rest, the other two or three categories.
By and large, the reaction to the Stunt Design Oscar announcement has been one of "it's about time." While many feel the award should have existed a long time ago, many are just happy it finally happened. Former stuntmen-turned-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch reacted to the news with great joy. Many actors who work with stunt people, like Jason Statham, have been the strongest advocates for award recognition.
The issue, according to Hardy, is that since the award is for Stunt Design, it’s simply too broad. There’s so much that goes on in the stunt world that simply recognizing Stunt Design still leaves too much work unrecognized. Hardy thinks this first award is a perfectly acceptable start, and he commends the Academy for taking it, but he hopes to see multiple stunt-related categories in the future. He continued…
It's Best Stunt Design, that's not enough, because that's already an umbrella and there's so much within that world of stunts...We need more categories under that umbrella, but it's a great start.
The Oscars have certainly broken down various disciplines into multiple awards before. For a long time, there were two separate awards for sound editing and sound mixing, though that’s not the case currently. There are two different screenplay Oscars for original or adapted content because the Academy understands there are different skills involved.
The exact rules and qualifications for the Oscar have not yet been announced, so exactly who will be eligible isn’t entirely clear yet. That said, as Tom Hardy indicates, it’s all but certain that a lot of people in the stunt world who do other work not considered “design” will be left out.
Still, as Tom Hardy says, it’s a good start. The fact that we will now have the first stunt Oscar, the foot is in the door, and the possibility of more might be a great deal easier.
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