2020 Oscar Nomination Predictions: SOUND EDITING & SOUND MIXING (October)

War movies and space travel. Those two genres so often dominate the sound categories and this year is no different. Universal’s WWI epic 1917 and 20th Century Fox’s Ad Astra fit those bills to a T and each of them move up this month in both Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Ad Astra alone has 7-time Oscar winner Gary Rydstrom behind so who’s going to bet against him?

That bumps down some high profile titles, but only just a bit. Ford v Ferrari, with its extraordinary race car sound design, should remain a top contender. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood should also fare well although the Star Wars films can be pretty hit and miss in below the line categories but this most recent trilogy has done great: The Last Jedi grabbed both sound noms plus original score and visual effects. The Force Awakens landed all of those and a Film Editing nomination.

This could be a place where Warner Bros massive blockbuster Joker could find a foothold. The nomination potential for the villain origin story keeps growing day to day and sound design by Oscar nominees and winners like Alan Robert Murray is exactly how it can happen.

Here are my 2020 Oscar Nomination Predictions in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for October 16, 2019.

SOUND EDITING

Green – moves up Red – moves down Blue – new/re-entry

1. 1917 (Universal)
2. Ad Astra (20th Century Fox)
3. Ford v Ferrari (20th Century Fox
4. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney)
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony/Columbia)

NEXT UP (alphabetical by film)

The Aeronauts (Amazon)
Avengers: Endgame (Disney)
Gemini Man (Paramount)
Joker (Warner Bros)
Us (Universal)

OTHER CONTENDERS (alphabetical by film)

Aladdin (Disney)
Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox)
Captain Marvel (Disney)
Dolemite Is My Name (Netflix)
The Irishman (Netflix)
The Lion King (Disney)
Midway (Lionsgate)
Rocketman (Paramount)
Terminator: Dark Fate (Paramount/20th Century Fox)

SOUND MIXING

Green – moves up Red – moves down Blue – new/re-entry

1. 1917 (Universal)
2. Ford v Ferrari (20th Century Fox)
3. Ad Astra (20th Century Fox)
4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony/Columbia)
5. Rocketman (Paramount)

NEXT UP (alphabetical by film)

The Aeronauts (Amazon)
Cats (Universal)
Joker (Warner Bros)
Judy (Roadside Attractions)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney)

OTHER CONTENDERS (alphabetical by film)

Aladdin (Disney)
Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox)
Avengers: Endgame (Disney)
Captain Marvel (Disney)
Dolemite Is My Name (Netflix)
Gemini Man (Paramount)
The Irishman (Netflix)
The Lion King (Disney)
Midway (Lionsgate)
Terminator: Dark Fate (Paramount/20th Century Fox)
Yesterday (Universal)
Us (Universal)