Hard work should be rewarded. It's plain and simple. But for decades, one aspect of the work that goes behind the scenes while making movies has eschewed giving a portion of the crew the props it absolutely deserves: Stunts.
Stunt work is what makes action films what they are. We wouldn't have The Matrix's amazing lobby scene, Mad Max: Fury Road's wild-ass car and motorcycle chases, the multi-roll insanity in The Fall Guy which broke a stunt record, or the countless other amazing action set pieces that we've come to love. I mean, the Mission Impossible series' countless motorcycle chases wouldn't be a thing for Tom Cruise to do himself without the stunt work industry.
And finally, after years of advocating for these workers to receive the same accolades as makeup artists, VFX artists, cinematographers, producers, and more, the Academy Awards will award an Oscar for Best Stunt Design. Weirdly, however, they aren't adding the category for another three years.
