Every year before the Oscars I break down each of the 24 categories. I do this to familiarize everyone with the category, how it typically goes, voting-wise, historically and also as a precursor to my picks article, allowing me to get most of the heavy lifting out of the way beforehand.
What I do is go over each category’s history, give you all the previous winners and nominees, then list the current year’s nominees. And then I’ll go over how each of the guilds (if there is a corresponding guild) have voted, how that corresponds to the Oscars (some guilds mean a lot to how a category will play out. Others mean nothing). It’s basically everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision when you make your picks on Oscar night. And then I also rank the nominees at the end in terms of where I see them in terms of their likelihood to win. So you know what the general favorites are.
Today is Best Sound Mixing. You know, the one that’s not Sound Editing. Because you totally know the difference between them.
| 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 |
| 2013 | Gravity | Captain Phillips
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Inside Llewyn Davis Lone Survivor |
| 2014 | Whiplash | American Sniper
Birdman Interstellar Unbroken |
| 2015 | Mad Max: Fury Road | Bridge of Spies
The Martian The Revenant Star Wars: The Force Awakens |
And, as we do, since now is where the guilds become important, let’s go over how important the Cinema Audio Society is in gauging what’s going to win the Oscar:
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)
- 2013 — Gravity (won the Oscar)
- 2014 — Birdman (lost the Oscar to Whiplash)
- 2015 — The Revenant (lost the Oscar to Mad Max: Fury Road)
Big Best Picture candidates usually win. But usually the ones that end up sweeping a lot of the awards. Or are gonna win at least five. Though most of them have some element that makes them easy decisions. Like action or war scenes, or a lot of music.
This year, CAS and the Oscar category matched up 4/5. The only difference is, CAS had Doctor Strange and the Oscars had 13 Hours. Greg P. Russell, man.
We don’t need CAS for this, because this is possibly the most locked category at the Oscars this year. They announce in a week.
Best Sound Mixing
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rankings:
5. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi — The nomination is the reward. As soon as this got nominated, you looked at it and went, “No one’s gonna vote for this.” This is a blank for them when they look at their ballots. You know the last time a non-Best Picture nominee won for Sound Mixing? 2007. You know the last time a movie won for Sound Mixing without at least two Oscar nominations? 1992. Last of the Mohicans. Trust me, this isn’t happening.
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — I’d repeat pretty much everything I said up there, but this managed two nominations and is at least Star Wars. Still, I don’t think anyone figures this a contender at all. Force Awakens wasn’t really a major contender for this category, and it was nominated in both. Fourth choice, and that’s only because 13 Hours is in this category.
3. Arrival — Best Picture nominee, which means it automatically goes above the other two. Still, when you put this next to the next two nominees, I can’t see this winning. This is actually some great sound work and is a worth nominee and would be a worthy winner, but it’s got no choice. Musicals don’t lose, and you have a war movie on top of it. Third choice.
2. Hacksaw Ridge — War movie. You have to consider it. You have to consider it more in Sound Editing than here, but it’ll factor in both because people don’t know the difference. Second choice, because musicals don’t lose, but this has a shot at it.
1. La La Land — Musicals don’t lose in Sound Mixing. This is the favorite. This will win. One of the categories I’d most call a lock at these Oscars. There’s really no argument to be made against this as an overwhelming favorite.
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Tomorrow, we go over Best Actor.
