Today, Vulture announced the winners of its first-ever Stunt Awards, an annual celebration of stunts in Hollywood. The project, inspired by Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri’s 2019 story “It’s Time for a Best Stunts Oscar,” assembles a voting academy consisting of stunt professionals, directors, VFX artists, cinematographers, editors, and producers who work in the action genre as well as journalists, critics, and podcasters who cover it. The ten categories recognize excellence in stunt work by individuals and teams, celebrating the year’s best action films, performances, and set pieces. The nominees and winners, who exemplify both the artistry and technical expertise that go into safely coordinating chaos and carnage onscreen — from hand-to-hand combat and shoot-outs to vehicular and aerial feats of speed and the ensuing explosions — have long been snubbed by the Academy Awards, which lack a Best Stunts category.
The winners of the stunt awards are:
Best Stunt in an Action Film: Top Gun: Maverick
The Climactic Dogfight
Awarded to stunt Coordinator Casey O’Neill; second unit director Eric Schwab; lead camera helicopter/camera jet pilot Kevin LaRosa II; director of photography David B. Nowell, ASC; additional director of photography Michael Fitzmaurice; L39 Pilots Randy Howell and Scott Kartvedt; helicopter pilots Kavin Larosa, Sr. and David Paris; Pilot Phenom co-pilots Steven Hinton and Jonathan Spano; Cinejet crew chiefs Jeff Jess and Thomas Roybal; Shotover technicians Stephen Scherba, Jared Slater, and Peter Graf; visual effects supervisors Ryan Tudhope, Bryan Litson, and Seth Hill; special effects coordinator Scott R. Fisher; and performers Miles Teller and Tom Cruise.
Best Stunt in a Non-Action Movie: Nope
The Final Sequence
Awarded to stunt coordinator Mark Vanselow; stunt doubles Carrie Bernans and Tiffany Abney; additional stunt Double Kortel Autrey; SPFX Coordinator Scott Fisher; operator Roland Loew; edge driver Dean Bailey; crane operator Rob Petrin; and performer Keke Palmer.
Best Fight: Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday
Scott Adkins vs. Andy Long
Awarded to performers and fight choreographers Scott Adkins and Andy Long; directors The Kirby Brothers; stunt coordinator Morgan Chetcuti; stunt performers Victor Aquilina and Catalin Bindiu; and director of photography Richard Bell.
Best Shootout: Bullet Train
The Flashback Shootout with Lemon and Tangerine
Awarded to stunt coordinator and stunt choreographer Greg Rementer; fight coordinator Kirk A. Jenkins; cinematographer Jonathan Sela; unit Director David Leitch; and notable stunt professionals Nathaniel Perry, Kyle McLean, Jaylil Jay Lynch (motorcycle stunt in that sequence), David Leitch (17th kill), and Woon Young Park (fish hook guy).
Best Vehicular Stunt: The Batman
The Batmobile Penguin Chase Climax
Awarded to supervising stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo; stunt coordinators Jake Dewitt, Steve Griffin, and Samuel Le; stunt performers Rick English, Shane Roberts, Joel Conlan; director Matt Reeves; visual effects supervising producer David Conley; and director of photography Greig Fraser.
Best Aerial Stunt: Top Gun: Maverick
The Climactic Dogfight
Awarded to stunt Coordinator Casey O’Neill; second unit director Eric Schwab; lead camera helicopter/camera jet pilot Kevin LaRosa II; director of photography David B. Nowell, ASC; additional director of photography Michael Fitzmaurice; L39 Pilots Randy Howell and Scott Kartvedt; helicopter pilots Kavin Larosa, Sr. and David Paris; Pilot Phenom co-pilots Steven Hinton and Jonathan Spano; Cinejet crew chiefs Jeff Jess and Thomas Roybal; Shotover technicians Stephen Scherba, Jared Slater, and Peter Graf; visual effects supervisors Ryan Tudhope, Bryan Litson, and Seth Hill; special effects coordinator Scott R. Fisher; and performers Miles Teller and Tom Cruise.
Best Practical Explosion: The Batman
The Batmobile PenguinChase Climax
Awarded to supervising stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo; stunt coordinators Jake Dewitt, Steve Griffin, and Samuel Le; stunt performers Rick English, Shane Roberts, Joel Conlan; director Matt Reeves; visual effects supervising producer David Conley; and director of photography Greig Fraser.
Best Overall Action Film: Top Gun: Maverick
Sailing
Awarded to stunt Coordinator Casey O’Neill; cinematographer Claudio Miranda; and producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and David Ellison.
Best Achievement in Stunts Overall: Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins and Other Mercenaries Against Vampires / Day Shift
Lifetime Achievement Award: Albert Pyun
Albert Pyun is the recipient of Vulture’s first ever Stunt Award: Lifetime Achievement. Read more about the legendary director’s contributions to stunt work here.
You can check out Vulture’s article on stunt awards winners here. Full coverage of the stunt awards, including interviews with the winners and industry leaders like David Leicht, Gina Prince Bythewood, Michael Bay, and more are available here.