Will Tom Cruise finally get a «Oscar»? Academy to add a category for stuntmen in 2028

For years, the American Film Academy has ignored the merits of stuntmen, but in 2028 this unfortunate situation will be corrected.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the ceremony, the list of categories will be updated with an award for stunts, with films released in 2027 being the first to be eligible. The principles for selecting candidates are still being determined.

«From the earliest days of cinema, stunts have been an integral part of filmmaking,» said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Young in a statement. «We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical artists and we salute them for their dedication to the».

Currently, more than 100 stuntmen are honorary members of the Academy’s Production and Technology Department, but the award for stunt work has only been presented twice — to Hal Needham in 2013 and to veteran stuntman Yakim Kanutti in 1967.

This seems to be good news for Tom Cruise, who has been performed his own stunts in films, and despite several acting nominations, did not receive «Oscar», as well as for director «John Wick» and former stuntman Chad Stahelski, who has been pushing for this category since 2017.

Why did the Academy ignore stuntmen? Along with a lot of supporters, this category also had critics who argued that awarding a prize for life-threatening scenarios would increase the number of injuries or even deaths, luring professionals with a prestigious award.