As we kick off this new season of awards coverage, let’s take a moment to explore the history and direction of what is now known as Best Sound. Making its debut at the 3rd Annual Academy Awards, the trophy was initially awarded to one of the studios instead of to any specific technicians that worked on the film. This rule was changed in 1969, and the first individual winners of the award were Jack Solomon and Murray Spivack for Hello, Dolly!. Additionally, this category started off as one award, then split into two awards in 1963 with Best Sound and Best Sound Effects after the Best Special Effects award split into Visual and Sound. At some point, we ended up with Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing as the two awards until 2020 when they were combined, once again, into one award.
So what are some things to look out for this year that may be in contention for Best Sound at the 97th Academy Awards? Honing in on a few winners from the last decade or so can shed some light on where this award has been headed recently. 2012’s winners are a good example of what the Academy looks for when it comes to sound as well as the difference between editing and mixing. Les Misérables took home Sound Mixing, while Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty tied for the Sound Editing award. Typically, mixing sound involves taking what was actually recorded during filming and making the most of it in post, whereas editing is more about adding sound to what was recorded. It makes sense that a musical like Les Mis that recorded all of the singing live while filming would win for mixing, and big, over the top action films like Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty would be awarded for their editing. These are perfect examples of why this award was split for so long.
Another type of film that can play well with the Academy is one where there is a huge emphasis on the lack of sound. Take Gravity and The Sound of Metal, both using silence or muted sound to its advantage. In the case of Gravity, there’s no sound in space. Riz Ahmed plays a drummer who is losing his hearing in The Sound of Metal, which opens up a whole world of ways to play with the sound design. This year’s winner, The Zone of Interest is more similar to these types of films than it is to the loud, boisterous movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Dune. Pitting the serenity of a quiet life at home gardening and entertaining against the nightmare-inducing sounds coming from just over the wall, Jonathan Glazer’s harrowing film uses sound unlike any film from recent memory.
As the 2024 film slate continues on, these are the things to look for: massive, over-the-top sound like action and war movies, musicals or films where music and singing are heavily featured, or films that play with sound and the lack of sound in unique ways. Right now it’s obvious that the frontrunner for this award is Dune: Part 2. The Academy has already awarded the first installment in this category, and without a clear and worthy opponent it would be really easy for voters to run it back here.
