With wins at the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, the Association of Motion Picture Sound, the Cinema Audio Society, F1 was feeling like the unsailable frontrunner for Best Sound. And, to be fair, it’s still out in front. But then the Motion Picture Sound Editors threw a curveball our way by awarding Sinners with Best Sound Editing — Feature Dialogue/ADR and Frankenstein with Best Sound Editing — Feature Effects/Foley; both categories where F1 was nominated.
Three of the last five Oscar winners for Best Sound (Dune, Top Gun: Maverick, and Dune: Part Two) also won the MPSE for Effects/Foley. The Zone of Interest wasn’t nominated in that category, and Sound of Metal lost to Greyhound. The latter also lost Feature Dialogue/ADR, so that would mean F1 would be the first film since 2020 to lose both MPSE categories and still win the Oscar.
In saying that, F1 does have the impressive combo of AMPS, CAS, and BAFTA; something Sound of Metal also had. While losing with the MPSE is a dent in its campaign, F1 is still feeling like our frontrunner here. It’s the kind of cinema-rattling sound design that often wins this award, so it’s always felt like the winner from the start of the season. That being said, if Sinners has a really, really good night, it could absolutely take this category too.
BEST SOUND PREDICTIONS:
1. F1 (Apple Original Films) – AMPS, BAFTA, CAS, CCA, MPSE
2. Sinners (Warner Bros.) – AMPS, BAFTA, CAS, CCA, MPSE
3. Frankenstein (Netflix) – AMPS, CAS, BAFTA, MPSE
4. Sirāt (NEON) – CCA, MPSE
5. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) – BAFTA, CAS, CCA, MPSE
Will win: F1
Should win: Sirāt
Possible upset: Frankenstein
