Oscars 2019 Category Breakdown: Best Sound Mixing
Here’s how this works: every day leading up to the Oscars, I break down each of the 24 categories. The goal is to both familiarize everyone with the category itself (how it works, what its history is and how you go about figuring out what’s gonna win) while also making it easier to reference when I write my giant article with picks and everything. A lot of the leg work is already here. But really, the goal is to see if there’s anything to look for leading into Oscar night that could be a shortcut to me picking the category.
What we do is — I give you all the winners of the category throughout history, go over all the recent trends if there are any, discuss the precursors and whether or not they matter, and then we talk about this year’s category and how we got to it, and then just look at where we are and rank the nominees in terms of their likelihood of winning (at the current moment in time. Of course, things can and will change going into the ceremony). It’s all pretty simple. I’ve done this every year. Everyone should know the drill.
Today is Best Sound Mixing. Sibilance. Sibilance.
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 |
2016 | Hacksaw Ridge | 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Arrival La La Land Rogue One: A Star Wars Story |
2017 | Dunkirk | Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049 The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi |
2018 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Black Panther
First Man Roma A Star Is Born |
I know I do this every year, but some people need it — Mixing is the entire sound mix you hear on the screen and Editing is the compilation of all those sounds (dialogue, effects, foley, music).
Typically you’ve gotta take both Sound categories as a single entity, since generally they both match, and trying to split them can lead to very bad situations, such as 2016, where I assumed, “Oh, Hacksaw Ridge the war movie… those always win Editing. And then La La Land, musical. Those win Mixing. That’s a good split.” And then Hacksaw won Mixing and Arrival won Editing and I got double fucked. Now, had I taken either of those in both, I’d have split and been fine. So it’s a very slippery and dicey slope and you just kind of have to throw everything on the table and reason your way through it until you come to a place that makes sense to you that you’re comfortable with.
We’ll start with CAS, the sound mixers guild. They’ve given out awards since 1993, and here’s their history:
- 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)
- 2016 — La La Land (lost the Oscar to Hacksaw Ridge)
- 2017 — Dunkirk (won the Oscar)
- 2018 — Bohemian Rhapsody (won the Oscar)
They’re 15/26 (58%) all-time. Which is solid. 6/10 the past decade, which is their average.
BAFTA only has a single Sound category that includes everything. However, they are 9/10 the past decade. Their winner has won at least ONE of the Sound categories all but one year:
- 2018 — Bohemian Rhapsody (won Mixing and Editing)
- 2017 — Dunkirk (won Mixing and Editing)
- 2016 — Arrival (won Editing)
- 2015 — The Revenant (lost both categories to Fury Road)
- 2014 — Whiplash (won Mixing)
- 2013 — Gravity (won Mixing and Editing)
- 2012 — Les Misérables (won Mixing)
- 2011 — Hugo (won Mixing and Editing)
- 2010 — Inception (won Mixing and Editing)
- 2009 — The Hurt Locker (won Mixing and Editing)
Not a bad run for them. BFCA, meanwhile, tried a Sound category for three years then got rid of it.
So really, we’re looking at BAFTA, we’re looking at CAS and we’re looking at MPSE, which is the Sound Editors guild. You kinda have to take all the Sound information at once and then work through it all.
But anyway, here’s your category:
Best Sound Mixing
1917
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferarri
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Ad Astra kind of came out of nowhere, but the other four were expected. You knew Ford v Ferrari and 1917 would get on. Meanwhile, Joker hit every Sound precursor there is, so you had to figure that was on. And Once Upon a Time is a film loaded with needle drops. Made total sense for that to be on too. So Ad Astra’s the only one that came out of nowhere. But hey, good for it.
Looking at the precursors, we only have CAS and MPSE, since BAFTA is gonna announce in a couple of days. But we have enough to loosely rank everything and then shore it up once BAFTA weighs in.
Here’s what the guilds did:
- CAS: Ford v Ferrari
- MPSE:
- SFX+Foley: Ford v Ferrari
- Dialogue+ADR: 1917
The other MPSE award went off the board, so it’s irrelevant to these proceedings. But really all that tells you is that it is and always was a two-horse race. So I do want to see where BAFTA goes with it, because that will be the deciding factor for me in at least one of these categories.
Rankings:
5. Ad Astra — This is its only nomination. And two things to note — the last non-Best Picture nominee to win in Mixing was The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007 and the last film to win Mixing as its only nomination was Last of the Mohicans in 1992. Similarly, in Editing, you have to go back to Ghost and the Darkness in 1996 for the last time something won a Sound category on its only nomination. But that’s when Editing was three nominees and not like it is now. Point is, you cannot see this as anything other than a fifth choice no matter how you slice it.
4. Joker — Hard to see this getting any real amount of votes in this category. Zero precursors thus far, and while I guess a BAFTA win isn’t totally out of the question, I’m not sure anyone is anticipating that happening. Which leaves us with… where are the votes coming from? It’s not a film that screams ‘sound design’. I can’t see this getting votes over the other three options left on this list. And absent a precursor, it’s gotta stay fourth.
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — The music. That’s why this is third. This is a soundtrack heavy film in a category known for ‘musical’ winners — Whiplash, Les Mis, Ray. It didn’t even win Music at MPSE, which is why I can’t think it’s remotely got a chance, but I will have it third on the off-off chance it does. Still, we know where this one’s headed. Those other two choices are pure sound films.
2. Ford v Ferrari — The only reason it’s second despite more precursors is two-fold: 1917 is likely to win Best Picture and has more overall nominations, therefore more overall support. And because I think 1917 is probably gonna win the BAFTA, which will make it the most lauded Sound film of the year in terms of precursors. Now, could there be a split, could this win BAFTA? Sure. But we’ve got a couple days and then a week to figure all that stuff out. For now, I’m calling this the second choice on an anticipatory technicality. It’s still a two-horse race and we’ve got a pretty good handle on how it’s gonna go. That’s the most you could ask for at this point in the race. Especially in a SOUND category.
1. 1917 — It wasn’t nominated at CAS, which could mean they didn’t like it enough to put it there. But it also means we don’t know how it would have done in a final vote there. Might have won if they put it on over Rocketman. We don’t know. MPSE split the two, which is a wash, and now BAFTA’s to come. Assuming this wins BAFTA, I think you have to make it the favorite in at least one of the categories. Editing for sure. And then at that point, do you want to switch them? I mean, maybe Ford v Ferrari can pull off the Bourne trifecta of Editing, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. That’s entirely possible. But short of BAFTA announcing, I have to call this the favorite purely because of the 10 nominations, the fact that it’s the Best Picture favorite at this point and because it’s a war movie, and those do well in the Sound categories.
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Rock-solid analysis, good sir. Also, Ad Astra being here is totally a pity nom after it failed to even get shortlisted for the VFX Oscar. I wonder if the Sound branch saw that and realized at once that they had to be the ones to toss it something.
January 31, 2020 at 5:32 pm