2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (December)
The Oscar shortlists are in and here are my 2025 Oscar predictions for Makeup & Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Sound and Visual Effects for December.
For Makeup & Hairstyling, there is Critics Choice and MUAH crossover for The Substance, Wicked Part 1, A Different Man and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Dune: Part Two and Nosferatu come in with just CCA and three titles will fight for a spot with no precursors so far (but with BAFTA yet to come), including Maria, The Apprentice and the shock of shortlist day, Waltzing with Brando, which so far has no eligible release date to speak of.
Makeup & Hairstyling (10)
| 1. The Substance (MUBI) | CCA, MUAH (x3) |
| 2. Wicked Part I (Universal Pictures) | CCA, MUAH (x2) |
| 3. Nosferatu (Focus Features) | CCA |
| 4. A Different Man (A24) | CCA, MUAH |
| 5. Maria (Netflix) | |
| 6. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) | CCA |
| 7. Emilia Pérez (Netflix) | MUAH |
| 8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) | CCA, MUAH (x3) |
| 9. The Apprentice (Briarcliff Entertainment) | |
| 10. Waltzing with Brando (VMI Worldwide) |
Conclave, Emilia Pérez, and The Wild Robot lead the precursor run for original score with The Brutalist and Challengers not far behind. As we know, Dune: Part Two is Oscar-ineligible.
Original Score (20)
| 1. Conclave (Focus Features) Volker Bertelmann | CCA, GG, HMMA, SCL |
| 2. Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Clément Ducol and Camille | CCA, GG, HMMA, SCL |
| 3. The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) Kris Bowers | CCA, GG, HMMA, SCL |
| 4. The Brutalist (A24) Daniel Blumberg | CCA, GG, SCL |
| 5. Challengers (Amazon MGM) Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross | CCA, GG, HMMA |
| 6. Blitz (Apple Original Films) Hans Zimmer | HMMA |
| 7. Nosferatu (Focus Features) | HMMA |
| 8. The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) Alberto Iglesias | HMMA |
| 9. Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) Harry Gregson-Williams | HMMA, SCL |
| 10. Wicked (Universal Pictures) John Powell, Stephen Schwartz | SCL |
| 11. The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) Aaron Zigman | HMMA |
| 12. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) Danny Elfman | |
| 13. Sing Sing (A24) Bryce Dessner | |
| 14. Babygirl (A24) Cristobal Tapia de Veer | |
| 15. The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM) Tamar-kali | |
| 16. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 (Warner Bros) John Debney | HMMA |
| 17. Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios) Andrea Datzman | HMMA |
| 18. Young Woman and the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures) Amelia Warner | |
| 19. Blink Twice (Amazon MGM) Chanda Dancy | |
| 20. Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios) Benjamin Wallfisch |
Both Emilia Pérez songs (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”) haven’t missed a beat, neither has “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot and “Compress/Repress” from Challengers. “Harper & Will Go West” is performing well but with Diane Warren in the race, as she is this year with “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, just pencil her in because it’s happening.
Original Song (15)
| 1. “El Mal” by Clement Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) | CCA, GG, HMMA (main), SCL |
| 2. “Kiss the Sky” by Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack & Ali Tamposi from The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) | CCA, GG, HMMA (animated), SCL |
| 3. “Compress/Regress” by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino from Challengers (Amazon MGM) | CCA, GG, HMMA (animated), SCL |
| 4. “Mi Camino” by Clement Ducol and Camille from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) | CCA, GG, HMMA (main), SCL |
| 5. “The Journey” by Diane Warren from The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) | HMMA (main), SCL |
| 6. “Harper and Will Go West” by Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig & Josh Greenbaum from Will & Harper (Netflix) | CCA, HMMA (doc), SCL |
| 7. “Piece by Piece” by Pharrell Williams from Piece by Piece (Focus Features) | HMMA (doc) |
| 8. “Winter Coat” by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, and Taura Stinson from Blitz (Apple Original Films) | HMMA (main), SCL |
| 9. “Like a Bird” by Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel & Adrian Quesada from Sing Sing (A24) | |
| 10. “Never Too Late” by Elton John & Brandi Carlile from Elton John: Never Too Late (Walt Disney Pictures) | HMMA (doc) |
| 11. “Out of Oklahoma” by Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick & Shane McAnally from Twisters (Universal Pictures/Warner Bros) | HMMA (main), SCL |
| 12. “Sick In The Head” by Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, and Toddla T from Kneecap (Sony Pictures Classics) | GG |
| 13. “Beyond” by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear from Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) | HMMA (animated), SCL |
| 14. “Forbidden Road” by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler & Sacha Skarbek from Better Man (Paramount Pictures) | GG, HMMA (main), SCL |
| 15. “Tell Me It’s You” by Lin-Manuel Miranda from Mufasa: The Lion King |
With some strange misses here we have blockbuster action, sci-fi and musicals holding space for the five eventual spots for the Oscar. Motion Picture Sound Editors nominations will be here on January 6, Cinema Audio Society nominations on January 7, and BAFTA noms on January 15.
Sound (10)
| 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) |
| 2. Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) |
| 3. Emilia Pérez (Netflix) |
| 4. A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures) |
| 5. Wicked Part I (Universal Pictures) |
| 6. The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) |
| 7. Blitz (Apple Original Films) |
| 8. Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios) |
| 9. Deadpool & Wolverine (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios) |
| 10. Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros) |
With just CCA so far we have five films with a precursor (The Substance didn’t make the Oscar shortlist cut). Visual Effect Society noms will be January 14 and BAFTA the next day.
Visual Effects (10)
| 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) | CCA |
| 2. Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) | CCA |
| 3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Studios) | CCA |
| 4. Twisters (Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros) | |
| 5. Better Man (Paramount Pictures) | CCA |
| 6. Wicked (Universal Pictures) | CCA |
| 7. Civil War (A24) | |
| 8. Deadpool & Wolverine (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios) | |
| 9. Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) | |
| 10. Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios) |
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, PRODUCTION DESIGN (December) - December 18, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (December) - December 18, 2024
- 2024 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners: ‘Anora’ Top Film, Director, Actress - December 18, 2024
2025 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, PRODUCTION DESIGN (December) 
2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (December) 
Interview: Director Robert Eggers (‘Nosferatu’) on the Consequences of Temptation, Training Hundreds of Rats, and Playing with Vampire Lore 
Interview: Guy Pearce on the Beauty and Violence of ‘The Brutalist’ and Van Buren’s Call to His Therapist