2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (November)
The Oscar shortlist for Makeup & Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Sound and Visual Effects (as well as feature and short film categories for animated, documentary and international features) will be revealed on December 17, 2024. Academy Awards nominations will be announced January 17, 2025 and the 97th Oscars will be held on March 2.
Precursor nominations for Makeup & Hairstyling (the MUAHs) are set for December 10, Original Score has several guilds (including the Society of Composers and Lyricists and Hollywood Music in Media Awards), for Sound we have the Cinema Audio Society noms on January 7 and the Motion Picture Sound Editors noms on January 6 and the Visual Effects Society will reveal their nominations on January 14.
Here are my 2025 Oscar shortlist predictions in Makeup & Hairstyling (10), Original Score (now 20), Original Song (15), Sound (10) and Visual Effects (10) for November.
Makeup & Hairstyling (10)
| 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) |
| 2. The Substance (MUBI) |
| 3. A Different Man (A24) |
| 4. Nosferatu (Focus Features) |
| 5. A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures) |
| 6. Wicked Part I (Universal Pictures) |
| 7. Sasquatch Sunset (Bleecker Street) |
| 8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) |
| 9. Maria (Netflix) |
| 10. The Animal Kingdom (Magnet Releasing) |
Next up: The Apprentice (Briarcliff Entertainment), Emilia Pérez (Netflix), Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures), Hit Man (Netflix), Saturday Night (Sony Pictures)
Other contenders: Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios), Better Man (Paramount Pictures), Conclave (Focus Features), Deadpool and Wolverine (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios), Firebrand (Roadside Attractions), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros), Here (Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures), Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros), Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures), September 5 (Paramount Pictures)
Original Score (20)
| 1. Conclave (Focus Features) Volker Bertelmann | HMMA (main) |
| 2. Dune: Part II (Warner Bros)* Hans Zimmer | HMMA (scifi/fantasy) |
| 3. Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Clément Ducol, Camille | HMMA (main) |
| 4. The Brutalist (A24) Daniel Blumberg | |
| 5. The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) Kris Bowers | HMMA (animated) |
| 6. Blitz (Apple Original Films) Hans Zimmer | HMMA (main) |
| 7. Challengers (Amazon MGM) Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross | HMMA (main) |
| 8. The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) Alberto Iglesias | HMMA (independent) |
| 9. Gladiator II — Harry Gregson-Williams (Paramount Pictures) | HMMA (main) |
| 10. Saturday Night (Sony Pictures) Jon Batiste | HMMA (main) |
| 11. Queer (A24) Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross | |
| 12. White Bird (Lionsgate) Thomas Newman | |
| 13. Sing Sing (A24) Bryce Dessner | |
| 14. The Piano Lesson (Netflix) Alexandre Desplat | |
| 15. Nickel Boys (Amazon MGM) Alex Somers and Scott Alario | |
| 16. The Substance (MUBI) Raffertie | |
| 17. Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios) Andrea Datzman | HMMA (animated) |
| 18. Young Woman and the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures) Amelia Warner | |
| 19. September 5 (Paramount Pictures) Lorenz Dangel | |
| 20. Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) Dave Metzger |
Other contenders: Anora — Matthew Hearon-Smith (NEON), The Apprentice — Marti Dirkov (Briarcliff Entertainment), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — Danny Elfman (Warner Bros)*, Civil War — Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow (A24), Flow — Gints Zilbalodis, Rihards Zalupe (Janus Films/Sideshow), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga — Tom Holkenborg (Warner Bros), Here — Alan Silvestri (Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures), Lee — Alexandre Desplat (Roadside Attractions), Memoir of a Snail — Elena Kats-Chernin, Moana 2 — Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foaʻi (Walt Disney Pictures)
*if eligible
Original Song (15)
| 1. “El Mal” by Clement Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) | HMMA (main) |
| 2. “Winter Coat” by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, and Taura Stinson from Blitz (Apple Original Films) | HMMA (main) |
| 3. “Never Too Late” by Elton John & Brandi Carlile from Elton John: Never Too Late (Walt Disney Pictures) | HMMA (doc) |
| 4. “Mi Camino” by Clement Ducol and Camille from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) | HMMA (main) |
| 5. “The Journey” by Diane Warren from The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) | HMMA (main) |
| 6. “Kiss the Sky” by Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack & Ali Tamposi from The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) | HMMA (animated) |
| 7. “Piece by Piece” by Pharrell Williams from Piece by Piece (Focus Features) | HMMA (doc) |
| 8. “Harper and Will Go West” by Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig & Josh Greenbaum from Will & Harper (Netflix) | HMMA (doc) |
| 9. “I Always Wanted a Brother” by TBD from Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) | |
| 10. “Compress/Regress” by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino from Challengers (Amazon MGM) | HMMA (animated) |
| 11. “Out of Oklahoma” by Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick & Shane McAnally from Twisters (Universal Pictures/Warner Bros) | HMMA (main) |
| 12. “Sick In The Head” by Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, and Toddla T from Kneecap (Sony Pictures Classics) | |
| 13. “Beyond” by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear from Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) | HMMA (animated) |
| 14. “Forbidden Road” by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler & Sacha Skarbek from Better Man (Paramount Pictures) | HMMA (main) |
| 15. “Like a Bird” by Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel & Adrian Quesada from Sing Sing (A24) |
Next up:
- “Periyone” by A.R. Rahman and Rafiq Ahamed from The Goat Life (AA Films)
- “Claw Machine” by Haley Dahl from I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
- “The Idea of You” by Savan Kotecha, Albin Nedler & Carl Falk from The Idea of You (Amazon MGM)
- “Folie à Deux” by Lady Gaga from Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros)
- “Beautiful That Way” by Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li, and Andrew Wyatt from The Last Showgirl (Roadside Attractions)
- “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear from Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures)
- “Ngomso” by TBD from Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures)
- “Vaster Than Empires” by William Burroughs, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross from Queer (A24)
- “Release” by Dot Da Genius, Elijah Fox, and Saleka from Trap (Warner Bros)
- “Even When I’m Not” by Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi, and Isaiah Tejada from The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation)
Other contenders:
- “Leash” by Sky Ferreira & Jorge Elbrecht from Babygirl (A24)
- “A Country Dance” by Joanna Sternberg from Between the Temples (Sony Pictures Classics)
- “JEEZU” by Jeymes Samuel, Doja Cat and Kodak Black from The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
- “I Want You Forever” by Jeymes Samuel, D’Angelo, Jay-Z from The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
- “Dare to Be” by Andrea Bocelli, Gene Back, Giovanni Caccomo & Courtney Rodriguez from Dare to Be (Angel Studios)
- “Gretchen’s Song” by Simon Waskow from Cuckoo (NEON)
- “Double Life” by Pharrell Williams from Despicable Me 4 (Illumination/Universal Pictures)
- “Stop Talking” by Joshua Cain, Jesse Johnson, Justin Pierre, Matthew Taylor, and Tony Thaxton from Dìdi (Focus Features)
- “Bricks” by Jherek Bischoff and Andra Day from Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
- “Ezra” by Adrienne Ackerman from Ezra (Roadside Attractions)
- “In Time” by Rodrigo Amarante from His Three Daughters (Netflix)
- “Starburned and Unkissed” by A. G. Cook and Caroline Polachek from I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
- “Nothing’s Impossible” by Ian Axel & Chad King from The Imaginary (Netflix)
- “Not My Fault” by Alexander 23, Nell Benjamin, Jasper Harris, Megan Thee Stallion, Reneé Rapp, Jeff Richmond, Ryan Tedder, and Billy Walsh from Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures)
- “Summer Blue” by Nate Heller from Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures)
- “For Real” by Pharrell Williams from Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
- “Huele a Fraude” by Stefa Marin Alarcon, Robert Ouyang Rusli, and Julio Torres from Problemista (A24)
- “The Creatures of Nature” by Josh Lambert, Yvonne Lambert, Toto Miranda, and David Zellner from Sasquatch Sunset (Bleecker Street)
- “Why I’m Here” by Samara Joy and P.J. Morton from Shirley (Netflix)
- “TBD” from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Paramount Pictures)
- “TBD” from Spellbound (Netflix)
- “Under the Tree” by Ed Sheeran from That Christmas
- “TBD” from The End (NEON)
- “If I Fall” by Brian ‘Are We Dreaming’ Tyler, Quavious ‘Quavo’ Keyate Marshall, Tyrone ‘Ty Dolla $ign’ Griffin Jr. & Nicholas James McGuinn from Transformers One (Paramount Pictures)
- “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs & Jonathan Singleton from Twisters (Universal Pictures/Warner Bros)
Sound (10)
| 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) |
| 2. Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) |
| 3. Emilia Pérez (Netflix) |
| 4. A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures) |
| 5. Twisters (Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros) |
| 6. Civil War (A24) |
| 7. Wicked Part I (Universal Pictures) |
| 8. Conclave (Focus Features) |
| 9. Better Man (Paramount Pictures) |
| 10. Blitz (Apple Original Films) |
Next up: The Brutalist (A24), Challengers (Amazon MGM), Maria (Netflix), Nosferatu (Focus Features), A Quiet Place: Day One (Paramount Pictures), The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation)
Other contenders: Alien Romulus (20th Century Studios), Anora (NEON), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros), Deadpool and Wolverine (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros), Hit Man (Netflix), Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios), Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros), Megalopolis (Lionsgate), Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures), The Piano Lesson (Netflix), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (NEON), The Substance (MUBI), Transformers One (Paramount Pictures)
Visual Effects (10)
| 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) |
| 2. Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) |
| 3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Studios) |
| 4. Twisters (Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros) |
| 5. Better Man (Paramount Pictures) |
| 6. Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) |
| 7. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) |
| 8. Deadpool and Wolverine (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios) |
| 9. The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation) |
| 10. Nosferatu (Focus Features) |
Next up: Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros), Here (Sony Pictures/Tri-Star) A Quiet Place: Day One (Paramount Pictures), Young Woman and the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures)
Other contenders: Argylle (Apple Original Films), Civil War (A24), A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros), Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios), Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros), Megalopolis (Lionsgate), Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures), The Substance (MUBI), Transformers One (Paramount Pictures)
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.
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