SOUND
Nominees:

“Alien: Romulus”
“Blitz”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”
“Joker: Folie à Deux”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”

Per the Academy’s press release:

Ten films will advance in the Sound category for the 97th 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, January 9, 2025, in the San Francisco Bay area, followed by London, Los Angeles and New York on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

Nominations voting begins on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and concludes on Sunday, January 12, 2025. Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on Friday, January 17, 2025. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and airs live in more than 200 territories worldwide.

OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS

“BLITZ” • Apple Original Films
Steve McQueen | Director
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Anita Overland | Producers

“Dune: Part Two” • Warner Bros Pictures
Denis Villeneuve | Director
Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick | Producers

“EMILIA PÉREZ” • Netflix
Jacques Audiard | Director
Jacques Audiard, Valérie Schermann, Pascal Caucheteux, Anthony Vaccarello | Producers

“Wicked” • Universal Pictures
Jon M. Chu | Director
Marc Platt, David Stone | Producers

“THE WILD ROBOT” • DreamWorks Animation | Universal Pictures
Chris Sanders | Director
Jeff Hermann | Producers

WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?

When it comes to the Sound category, generally, the loud, big-budget fare is highlighted. With that logic, “Dune: Part Two” feels like the front-runner, especially if it makes it into the Best Picture category. Speaking of Best Picture, “Emilia Pérez,” an international musical, will likely land that prestigious nomination, making it a strong contender for landing as one of the final Sound nominees. Beloved animated films are known for getting Sound nominations, so expect to see “The Wild Robot” land here. And you cannot mention Best Picture hopeful and beloved and not bring up “Wicked,” which is a big-budget musical, checking many of the boxes to get it noticed by the voters. My last pick goes to “Blitz,” which I hope gets some nominations despite not getting talked about in the awards circles. I expect “Alien: Romulus” and “Joker: Folie à Deux” because they weren’t received well and don’t feel like Oscar-worthy films. “Gladiator II” could surprise, as it is also a loud, big-budget film. However, it didn’t receive much praise. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a longshot, but the Academy is known for putting Marvel fare in this category. And, if “A Complete Unknown” makes a run at Best Picture, there’s no reason it couldn’t pop up here. The experts at Gold Derby have “A Complete Unknown” and “Gladiator II” getting in over “The Wild Robot” (which is in last place) and “Blitz.”