It is named after director, screenwriter, and producer Robert Altman, who is considered a "maverick" in naturalistic films.
[1] The award was created as a tribute after his death during the 2007 ceremony.
The following year, it became a competitive category where a movie wins directly, without any nominees.
Two of its recipients, Marcus Carl Franklin and Cate Blanchett, were nominated for Best Supporting Male and Best Supporting Female, respectively (the latter won).
The year after that, the rules changed so that the actors that win this award won't be eligible for the invidual acting categories.