SOUND Nominees:
| “All Quiet on the Western Front” |
| “Avatar: The Way of Water” |
| “Babylon” |
| “The Batman” |
| “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” |
| “Elvis” |
| “Everything Everywhere All at Once” |
| Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” |
| “Moonage Daydream” |
| “Top Gun: Maverick” |
Per the Academy’s press release:
10 films will advance in the Sound category for the 95th Academy Awards. All eligible members of the Sound Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from each of the shortlisted films beginning Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in the San Francisco Bay area, followed by New York, London and Los Angeles. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
Each shortlist is determined by members of that corresponding branch, except for International Feature Film. (Members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.)
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“All Quiet on the Western Front”
Netflix
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
20th Century Studios
“The Batman”
Warner Bros. Pictures
“Elvis”
Warner Bros. Pictures
“Top Gun: Maverick”
Paramount Pictures
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
The original “Avatar” was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three, including Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Art Direction. It got nominated for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, so it would be easy to see it land those nominations again. War films like “All Quiet on the Western Front” are usually at the forefront of the Sound category, as are action movies like “Top Gun: Maverick.” The 1986 “Top Gun” was nominated for Best Sound as well. Music films also often lead the pack to get nominated for Best Sound. Look at “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019, where it won Sound Editing and Mixing, so “Elvis” has an excellent chance to grab a nomination for Sound.
The last spot is a toss-up. I went between “The Batman” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” because comic book films are often the filler in this category. I ended up landing on “Wakanda Forever,” just because the original “Black Panther” landed the same nomination, and I think it might garner more support than “The Batman.” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” is a film I could see landing here, as animated titles often also find support.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, and Lars Ginze
October 7, 2022
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Malte Grunert and Daniel Dreifuss
Netflix
Synopsis: All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches. The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Gary Summers, Michael Hedges, and Julian Howarth
December 16, 2022
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau
20th Century Studios
Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Babylon
Steven Morrow, Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou, and Andy Nelson
December 23, 2022
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Produced by Marc Platt, Matthew Plouffe, and Olivia Hamilton
Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
The Batman
Stuart Wilson, Will Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson
March 4, 2022
Directed by Matt Reeves
Produced by Dylan Clark and Matt Reeves
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Batman ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker, and Peter J. Devlin
November 11, 2022
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
Walt Disney Pictures
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Elvis
David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller
June 24, 2022
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Produced by Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss, and Andrew Mittman
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Andrew Twite, Alexandra Fehrman, Brent Kiser, and Julie Diaz
December 9, 2022
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Produced by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang
A24
Synopsis: An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Scott M. Gershin, Jon Taylor, and Frank A. Montaño
November 9, 2022
Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
Produced by Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar, Alexander Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico
Netflix
Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director Guillermo del Toro and award-winning, stop-motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy with a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love.
Moonage Daydream
Samir Foco, John Warhurst, and Nina Hartstone
September 23, 2022
Directed and Produced by Academy Award Nominee, Brett Morgen (“On the Ropes”)
Neon
Synopsis: MOONAGE DAYDREAM: a cinematic odyssey exploring Bowie’s creative, spiritual and musical journey. From the visionary mind of Brett Morgen, Moonage Daydream features captivating, never-before-seen footage and performances spanning David Bowie’s 54-year career. The film includes 40 exclusively remastered Bowie songs and is the first film ever sanctioned by the Bowie Estate, with local access to the artists’ archives.
Top Gun: Maverick
Mark Weingarten, James Mather, and Al Nelson
May 27, 2022
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison, and Christopher McQuarrie
Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
