Every year, leading up to the Oscars, I break down every single category. It’s essentially a precursor to my picks. I explain all the stuff that needs to be explained in detail, so when the time comes to make my picks, I can refer to it as a shorthand.
In the articles, I’ll go over each category’s history, show previous winners and nominees, then list the current year’s nominees, talk about the guild history, if it’s important, what the guilds went with this year, whether that means anything for that particular category — all the background you need to know to make an informed decision. And then, once that’s all done, I’ll rank the nominees in that category in order of their likelihood to win, based on how I see it at the present.
The only difference between this year and previous years is that this year, I’ll be doing only one category a day instead of multiple categories. This is so I can take more time with each category and not stuff a bunch into a single article for information overload, and, simply, so I don’t have to do as much work. Though it is also easier this way. One category, one day.
Today, we do Best Sound, more commonly known as Best Sound Mixing. The shorthand to knowing what this category is about is to know — it’s the entire sound mix. That’s basically the award. Everything you hear in the film — sound effects, music, dialogue, all of that together — that’s Sound Mixing. That’s the thing that differentiates Sound Mixing from Sound Editing. Mixing is about the mix, while Editing is about the compilation of the sounds — picking the takes of dialogue, assembling all the sound effects, all of that. One is more technical, the other is more aural. Musicals win Sound Mixing. Blockbusters win Sound Editing. Sometimes they win both, depending.
This year, it’s one of those years we don’t have to worry about these categories much, since the same film should take both.
|
Year |
Best Sound Mixing Winners |
Other Nominees |
|
1929-1930 |
The Big House |
|
|
1930-1931 |
Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department |
MGM Studio Sound Department RKO Radio Studio Sound Department Samuel Goldwyn-United Artists Studio Sound Department |
|
1931-1932 |
Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department |
MGM Studio Sound Department RKO Studio Sound Department Walt Disney Warner Bros.First National Studio Sound Department |
|
1932-1933 |
A Farewell to Arms |
42nd Street Gold Diggers of 1933 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang |
|
1934 |
One Night of Love |
The Affairs of Cellini Cleopatra Flirtation Walk The Gay Divorcee Imitation of Life Viva Villa! The White Parade |
|
1935 |
Naughty Marietta |
1,000 Dollars a Minute Bride of Frankenstein Captain Blood The Dark Angel I Dream Too Much The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Love Me Forever Thanks a Million |
|
1936 |
San Francisco |
Banjo on My Knee The Charge of the Light Brigade Dodsworth General Spanky Mr. Deeds Goes to Town The Texas Rangers That Girl from Paris Three Smart Girls |
|
1937 |
The Hurricane |
The Girl Said No Hitting a New High In Old Chicago The Life of Emile Zola Lost Horizon Maytime One Hundred Men and a Girl Topper Wells Fargo |
|
1938 |
The Cowboy and the Lady |
Army Girl Four Daughters If I Were King Merrily We Live Suez Sweethearts That Certain Age Vivacious Lady You Can’t Take It With You |
|
1939 |
When Tomorrow Comes |
Balalaika Gone With the Wind Goodbye, Mr. Chips The Great Victor Herbert The Hunchback of Notre Dame Man of Conquest Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Of Mice and Men The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex The Rains Came |
|
1940 |
Strike Up the Band |
Behind the News Captain Caution The Grapes of Wrath The Howards of Virginia Kitty Foyle North West Mounted Police Our Town The Sea Hawk Spring Parade Too Many Husbands |
|
1941 |
That Hamilton Woman |
Appointment for Love Ball of Fire The Chocolate Soldier Citizen Kane The Devil Pays Off How Gree Was My Valley The Men in Her Life Sergeant York Skylark Topper Returns |
|
1942 |
Yankee Doodle Dandy |
Arabian Nights Bambi Flying Tigers Friendly Enemies The Gold Rush Mrs. Miniver Once Upon a Honeymoon The Pride of the Yankees Road to Morocco This Above All You Were Never Lovelier |
|
1943 |
This Land is Mine |
Hangmen Also Die! In Old Oklahoma Madame Curie The North Star Phantom of the Opera Riding High Sahara Saludos Amigos So This Is Washington The Song of Bernadette This Is the Army |
|
1944 |
Wilson |
Brazil Casanova Brown Cover Girl Doublt Indemnity His Butler’s Sister Hollywood Canteen It Happened Tomorrow Kismet Music in Manhattan Voice in the Wind |
|
1945 |
The Bells of St. Mary’s |
Flame of Barbary Coast Lady on a Train Leave Her to Heaven Rhapsody in Blue A Song to Remember The Southerner They Were Expendable The Three Caballeros Three Is a Family The Unseen Wonder Man |
|
1946 |
The Jolson Story |
The Best Years of Our Lives It’s a Wonderful Life |
|
1947 |
The Bishop’s Wife |
Green Dolphin Street T-Men |
|
1948 |
The Snake Pit |
Johnny Belinda Moonrise |
|
1949 |
Twelve O’Clock High |
Once More, My Darling Sands of Iwo Jima |
|
1950 |
All About Eve |
Cinderella Louisa Our Very Own Trio |
|
1951 |
The Great Caruso |
Bright Victory I Want You A Streetcar Named Desire Two Tickets to Broadway |
|
1952 |
The Sound Barrier |
Hans Christian Andersen The Card The Quiet Man With a Song in My Heart |
|
1953 |
From Here to Eternity |
Calamity Jane Knights of the Round Table The Mississippi Gambler The War of the Worlds |
|
1954 |
The Glenn Miller Story |
Brigadoon The Caine Mutiny Rear Window Susan Slept Here |
|
1955 |
Oklahoma! |
Love is a Many-Splendored Thing Love Me or Leave Me Mister Roberts Not as a Stranger |
|
1956 |
The King and I |
The Brave One The Eddy Duchin Story Friendly Persuasion The Ten Commandments |
|
1957 |
Sayonara |
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Les Girls Pal Joey Witness for the Prosecution |
|
1958 |
South Pacific |
I Want to Live! A Time to Love and a Time to Die Vertigo The Young Lions |
|
1959 |
Ben-Hur |
Journey to the Center of the Earth Libel The Nun’s Story Porgy and Bess |
|
1960 |
The Alamo |
The Apartment Cimarron Pepe Sunrise at Campobello |
|
1961 |
West Side Story |
The Children’s Hour Flower Drum Song The Guns of Navarone The Parent Trap |
|
1962 |
Lawrence of Arabia |
Bon Voyage! The Music Man That Touch of Mink What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? |
|
1963 |
How the west Was Won |
Bye Bye Birdie Captain Newman, M.D. Cleopatra It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |
|
1964 |
My Fair Lady |
Becket Father Goose Mary Poppins The Unsinkable Molly Brown |
|
1965 |
The Sound of Music |
The Agony and the Ecstasy Doctor Zhivago The Great Race Shenandoah |
|
1966 |
Grand Prix |
Gambit Hawaii The Sand Pebbles Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? |
|
1967 |
In the Heat of the Night |
Camelot The Dirty Dozen Doctor Dolittle Thoroughly Modern Millie |
|
1968 |
Oliver! |
Bullitt Finian’s Rainbow Funny Girl Star! |
|
1969 |
Hello, Dolly! |
Anne of the Thousand Days Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Gaily, Gaily Marooned |
|
1970 |
Patton |
Airport Ryan’s Daughter Tora! Tora! Tora! Woodstock |
|
1971 |
Fiddler on the Roof |
Diamonds are Forever The French Connection Kotch Mary, Queen of Scots |
|
1972 |
Cabaret |
Butterflies are Free The Candidate The Godfather The Poseidon Adventure |
|
1973 |
The Exorcist |
The Day of the Dolphin The Paper Chase Paper Moon The Sting |
|
1974 |
Earthquake |
Chinatown The Conversation The Towering Inferno Young Frankenstein |
|
1975 |
Jaws |
Bite the Bullet Funny Lady The Hindenburg The Wind and the Lion |
|
1976 |
All the President’s Men |
King Kong Rocky Silver Streak A Star is Born |
|
1977 |
Star Wars |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind The Deep Sorcerer The Turning Point |
|
1978 |
The Deer Hunter |
The Buddy Holly Story Days of Heaven Hooper Superman |
|
1979 |
Apocalypse Now |
The Electric Horseman Meteor 1941 The Rose |
|
1980 |
The Empire Strikes Back |
Altered States Coal Miner’s Daughter Fame Raging Bull |
|
1981 |
Raiders of the Lost Ark |
On Golden Pond Outland Pennies from Heaven Reds |
|
1982 |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |
Das Boot Gandhi Tootsie Tron |
|
1983 |
The Right Stuff |
Never Cr Wolf Return of the Jedi Terms of Endearment WarGames |
|
1984 |
Amadeus |
2010 Dune A Passage to India The River |
|
1985 |
Out of Africa |
Back to the Future A Chorus Line Ladyhawke Silverado |
|
1986 |
Platoon |
Aliens Heartbreak Ridge Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Top Gun |
|
1987 |
The Last Emperor |
Empire of the Sun Lethal Weapon RoboCop The Witches of Eastwick |
|
1988 |
Bird |
Die Hard Gorillas in the Mist Mississippi Burning Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
|
1989 |
Glory |
The Abyss Black Rain Born on the Fourth of July Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade |
|
1990 |
Dances with Wolves |
Days of Thunder Dick Tracy The Hunt for Red October Total Recall |
|
1991 |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day |
Backdraft Beauty and the Beast JFK The Silence of the Lambs |
|
1992 |
The Last of the Mohicans |
Aladdin A Few Good Men Under Siege Unforgiven |
|
1993 |
Jurassic Park |
Cliffhanger The Fugitive Geronimo: An American Legend Schindler’s List |
|
1994 |
Speed |
Clear and Present Danger Forrest Gump Legends of the Fall The Shawshank Redemption |
|
1995 |
Apollo 13 |
Batman Forever Braveheart Crimson Tide Waterworld |
|
1996 |
The English Patient |
Evita Independence Day The Rock Twister |
|
1997 |
Titanic |
Air Force One Con Air Contact L.A. Confidential |
|
1998 |
Saving Private Ryan |
Armageddon The Mask of Zorro Shakespeare in Love The Thin Red Line |
|
1999 |
The Matrix |
The Green Mile The Insider The Mummy Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace |
|
2000 |
Gladiator |
Cast Away The Patriot The Perfect Storm U-571 |
|
2001 |
Black Hawk Down |
Amélie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Moulin Rouge! Pearl Harbor |
|
2002 |
Chicago |
Gangs of New York The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Road to Perdition Spider-Man |
|
2003 |
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
The Last Samurai Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Seabiscuit |
|
2004 |
Ray |
The Aviator The Incredibles The Polar Express Spider-Man 2 |
|
2005 |
King Kong |
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Memoirs of a Geisha Walk the Line War of the Worlds |
|
2006 |
Dreamgirls |
Apocalypto Blood Diamond Flags of Our Fathers Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest |
|
2007 |
The Bourne Ultimatum |
3:10 to Yuma No Country for Old Men Ratatouille Transformers |
|
2008 |
Slumdog Millionaire |
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Wall-E Wanted |
|
2009 |
The Hurt Locker |
Avatar Inglourious Basterds Star Trek Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen |
|
2010 |
Inception |
The King’s Speech Salt The Social Network True Grit |
|
2011 |
Hugo |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Moneyball Transformers: Dark of the Moon War Horse |
|
2012 |
Les Misérables |
Argo Life of Pi Lincoln Skyfall |
Best Sound Mixing
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor
Before I get into the rankings, I want to talk about the Cinema Audio Society and how their winners affect the Oscar categories.
The CAS Awards have been given out since 1993. Previous winners are:
1993 – Jurassic Park (won the Oscar)
1994 – Forrest Gump (lost the Oscar to Speed)
1995 — Apollo 13 (won the Oscar)
1996 – The English Patient (won the Oscar)
1997 – Titanic (won the Oscar)
1998 – Saving Private Ryan (won the Oscar)
1999 – The Matrix (won the Oscar)
2000 – Gladiator (won the Oscar)
2001 – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (lost the Oscar to Black Hawk Down)
2002 – Road to Perdition (lost the Oscar to Chicago)
2003 — Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (lost the Oscar to Return of the King)
2004 – The Aviator (lost the Oscar to Ray)
2005 – Walk the Line (lost the Oscar to King Kong)
2006 – Dreamgirls (won the Oscar)
2007 – No Country for Old Men (lost the Oscar to The Bourne Ultimatum)
2008 – Slumdog Millionaire (won the Oscar)
2009 – The Hurt Locker (won the Oscar)
2010 – True Grit (lost the Oscar to Inception)
2011 – Hugo (won the Oscar)
2012 – Les Misérables (won the Oscar)
So, what I see here — when big Best Pictures are here, they typically win. (English Patient, Titanic, Gladiator, Slumdog, Hurt Locker – films that ended up sweeping most of the awards. And when you look at them — mostly action/war, and Slumdog had all the musical element to it that made it an easy call.) When CAS is off, they tend to be understandably off. That is to say, when you see No Country win CAS and True Grit win CAS and Inception win the Oscar, you understand it. Inception was gonna win a lot of techs and True Grit was looking to get mostly shut out of the Oscars (it got totally shut out, as it happened.) Also — musicals. They love a musical.
This year, CAS (they’re announcing in four days, and I can pretty much guess what’s winning, so I don’t need to wait for them) nominated basically the same as the Oscar category, only they have Iron Man 3 instead of The Hobbit. But neither will contend, so it’s fine. So, I’ll base my rankings based on how I assume the CAS Awards will go, and by general common sense, since I think we all know what’s winning this one.
Rankings:
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – It’s not winning. The first three did, but they didn’t even nominate An Unexpected Journey, and they’re past this one. It’ll get a few tech nominations each year, but other than that, they’re done with this. No one’s voting for it. The guild didn’t even nominate it. It’s clearly #5.
4. Lone Survivor – They respect this, but it doesn’t have enough support to get widespread votes. Not against the other three. Or even the top two. Maybe it’s a third choice because it has both Sound nominations, but we’re splitting hairs at that point. It’s not winning.
3. Inside Llewyn Davis – It’s a musical, of sorts, so that gives it a leg up. And possibly there are some people upset that it got so few nominations, so maybe that helps it. But, without a CAS win, I can’t consider this much of a contender. Plus, given the lack of nominations, it means it was a film that wasn’t universally regarded. So why would an entire Academy vote for this when there’s such easier choices ahead of it? It’s a dark horse at best.
2. Captain Phillips – If anything has a shot at beating the favorite, this is it. Greengrass has won this category before (The Bourne Ultimatum beat Transformers, even). This could be one of those minor, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wins Best Editing, surprises of the night. I doubt it, which is why this is the #2, but if there’s any alternative to the clear #1, this is it. It could win. But I imagine this one’s gonna go home empty-handed. I’d be surprised if it managed a single Sound win and nothing else, especially after missing Best Director.
1. Gravity – It’s your clear favorite. Like I said, I see at least five wins for this as of right now (this, Sound Editing, Visual Effects, Cinematography, and either Editing or Director. Or both). It’s not winning Actress, it might lose Picture, it doesn’t seem to be the favorite in Production Design, and then, depending on how Original Score goes, you could be looking at 6 or 7 wins for this. And if Picture swings its way too, that’s possibly 8. Unless they violently swing away from it (which I don’t think they will, since it’s universally respected and there’s no backlash against it whatsoever), I can’t see it losing these tech categories, which means, in my mind, it’s a lock for this. Hell, I wasn’t convinced Hugo was gonna win both Sound categories, and it did. And this is way more of a Sound film than that was. This has to be considered the favorite. How can it lose?
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