There were no huge surprises in the Academy’s five nominees for Best Sound. As expected, they matched four of the nominees from the Cinema Audio Society and the Best Picture buzz for Belfast swept it along for a default nomination. I’m still scratching my head over what makes the sound achievements of Belfast more impressive than films like A Quiet Place Part II, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and tick, tick…BOOM!, but thems the breaks.
Much like most of the technical categories this year, Dune is way out in front in the race for Best Sound. There are only eight critics associations with a prize for sound achievement, and Dune has won six of them. It’s scored nominations from the CAS, the Motion Picture Sound Editors, BAFTA, and Critics Choice. And it will likely win at every single event.
Is there a chance of an upset win from one of the remaining four nominees? Now that West Side Story has dropped on Disney+, we could see a boost in support for the film overall. That’s probably more likely to help its campaign chances elsewhere, so I can’t see it happening. Unless something odd happens at the guild awards, Dune has this in the bag.
So what will shape this race before Oscar voting commences on March 17? The Cinema Audio Society Awards will take place on March 19 (just three days before voting ends), while BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Motion Picture Sound Editors will all reveal their winners on March 13. Expect to see Dune dominate.
BEST SOUND PREDICTIONS:
1. Dune (Warner Bros.)
2. West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
3. No Time to Die (Universal Pictures)
4. Belfast (Focus Features)
5. The Power of the Dog (Netflix)