Should Stunt Performers Get an Oscar? Why the Industry Says Yes!

Every year, millions of viewers tune in to watch the Academy Awards celebrate the best in film. We cheer for actors, directors, editors, and costume designers. Yet, there’s one essential group that remains glaringly absent from the Oscar spotlight: stunt performers. Despite being responsible for some of the most memorable and jaw-dropping moments in cinema, stunt professionals have never had a dedicated Academy Award category. It’s time for that to change.

The Backbone of Blockbusters

From high-speed car chases and brutal hand-to-hand combat to death-defying leaps and fiery explosions, stunt performers are the unsung heroes of action filmmaking. They bring physicality, danger, and realism to scenes that would otherwise fall flat. Their work is not only thrilling it often defines the tone and success of major blockbusters.

Films like Mad Max: Fury Road, John Wick, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout owe much of their critical and commercial success to the seamless integration of practical stunts. These sequences require incredible physical conditioning, timing, choreography, and safety coordination. Simply put: without stunt performers, action films wouldn’t exist in their current form.

An Art Form That Deserves Recognition

Stunt work is far more than just physical risk—it’s an art form that involves storytelling, character development, and cinematic technique. Each punch, fall, or chase sequence must be carefully crafted to serve the narrative.

Choreography and Performance: Like dance, stunts require rhythm, expression, and timing to match the tone and pacing of a scene.
Technical Collaboration: Stunt coordinators work closely with directors, DPs, VFX teams, and editors to ensure the action is safe, spectacular, and narratively cohesive.
Emotional Impact: The danger portrayed by stunt performers enhances the stakes of the story, allowing audiences to feel fear, excitement, or awe.

If cinematography, costume design, and sound editing are worthy of Oscar categories, then so too is the craft of stunt performance.

Long Overdue Industry Support

Many industry professionals have publicly called for the Academy to include stunt work in the Oscars. Directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and James Cameron have praised the contributions of stunt performers and advocated for their recognition. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) already honors stunt ensembles in its annual awards. The Emmys have recognized stunt coordination in television. Even the Taurus World Stunt Awards specifically celebrate stunt work but it’s time for the Oscars to follow suit.

Safety, Innovation, and Legacy

Honoring stunt performers is about more than glamour—it’s about acknowledging the risk, innovation, and dedicationthey bring to the industry. Modern stunt work incorporates cutting-edge safety technology, motion capture, and wire work, blending tradition with innovation. Generations of performers have pushed physical boundaries to elevate storytelling and some have even lost their lives doing so.

Creating an Oscar category would:

Incentivize Excellence: Encourage higher standards of safety and performance across productions.
Preserve History: Honor decades of contributions to cinema that have gone unrecognized.
Educate Audiences: Bring awareness to the complex and vital role stunt teams play in the filmmaking process.

What Would an Oscar for Stunts Look Like?

There are several ways the Academy could structure the award:

Best Stunt Coordination: Honoring the team responsible for planning and executing the film’s stunt work.
Best Stunt Ensemble: Similar to SAG’s recognition, celebrating the entire team’s performance.
Best Action Sequence: Awarding standout sequences that blend stunt work, visual effects, and cinematography.

Each of these options would highlight different aspects of stunt artistry and provide a platform for celebration.

Conclusion: It's Time to Give Credit Where It's Due

Stunt performers risk life and limb to create unforgettable cinematic moments. Their work demands the same skill, creativity, and discipline as any other Oscar-winning craft. As the film industry evolves and action continues to play a central role in storytelling, it’s only right that the people behind the action receive the recognition they’ve long deserved.

It’s not just about winning a trophy—it’s about honoring a legacy, elevating a craft, and giving credit where it’s due. The time for a Stunt Oscar is now.