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Oscars Predictions: Best Sound – Darius Marder’s Aural Vision For ‘Sound of Metal’ Is the Sure Fire Winner for the Sound Category

SOUND OF METAL (2020).Courtesy of Amazon
Courtesy of Amazon Studios

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE COLLECTIVE

DRAFT>>>PRE SEASON>>>REGULAR SEASON>>>POST SEASON

2021 OSCARS PREDICTIONS:
BEST SOUND

UPDATED: Apr. 21, 2021

AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY: This one has been sewn up for quite some time — one of the all-time-great winners of the category.

Will win: “Sound of Metal” – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Phillip Bladh
Could win: “Soul” – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
Should win: “Sound of Metal” – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Phillip Bladh
Should have been here: “The Invisible Man” – Paul “Salty” Brincat, Will Files, P.K. Hooker

PRECURSORS LEADER:
“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) – Jaime Baksht, Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortes, Carolina Santana
Awards Circuit Winners Chart (2020-2021)
2021 Awards Season Calendar

AND THE NOMINEES ARE:

  1. "Sound of Metal" (Amazon Studios)
    Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
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    OSCAR HISTORY: Never nominated
    –
    DIRECTOR: Darius Marder
    SYNOPSIS: A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.
    STARRING: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Mathieu Almaric, Lauren Ridloff

  2. "Soul" (Pixar)
    Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
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    OSCAR HISTORY:
    Elliott - Never nominated
    Klyce - 7 nominations (most recently for 2018's "Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi" in sound mixing and sound editing)
    Parker - 9 nominations, 2 wins (1996's "The English Patient" and 2007's "The Bourne Ultimatum")
    Caro - Never nominated
    –
    DIRECTOR: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
    SYNOPSIS: A musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself.
    STARRING: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Daveed Diggs, Quest Love, Phylicia Rashad, Tina Fey, Graham Norton

  3. "Mank" (Netflix)
    Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
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    OSCAR HISTORY:
    Klyce - 7 nominations (most recently for 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi")
    Molod - Never nominated
    Parker - 9 nominations, 2 wins (1996's "The English Patient" and 2007's "The Bourne Ultamatium")
    Nance - Never nominated
    Kunin - 2 nominations (2012's "Life of Pi" and 2015's "Bridge of Spies")
    –
    DIRECTOR: David Fincher
    SYNOPSIS: 1930s Hollywood is re-evaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for Orson Welles.
    STARRING: Tom Burke, Lily Collins, Joseph Cross, Charles Dance, Monika Gossman, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jamie McShane, Tuppence Middleton, Toby Leonard Moore, Gary Oldman, Tom Pelphrey, Amanda Seyfried, Sam Troughton

  4. "News of the World" (Universal Pictures)
    Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
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    OSCAR HISTORY:
    Pritchett - 2 nominations (2002's "Road to Perdition" and 2005's "Memoirs of a Geisha")
    Smith - 1 nomination (2013's "Captain Phillips")
    Miller - Never nominated
    Tarney - 3 nominations (2013's "Captain Phillips," 2015's "The Martian" and 2019's "1917")
    Fentum - Never nominated
    –
    DIRECTOR: Paul Greengrass
    SYNOPSIS: A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.
    STARRING: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Elizabeth Marvel, Mare Winningham, Michael Angelo Covino, Ray McKinnon

  5. "Greyhound" (Apple TV Plus)
    Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
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    OSCAR HISTORY:
    Benitez - Never nominated
    King - Never nominated
    C. Minkler - 1 nomination (2019's "Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood")
    M. Minkler - 12 nominations, 3 wins (2001's "Black Hawk Down," 2002's "Chicago" and 2006's "Dreamgirls")
    –
    DIRECTOR: Aaron Schneider
    SYNOPSIS: Several months after the U.S. entry into World War II, an inexperienced U.S. Navy commander must lead an Allied convoy being stalked by a German submarine wolf pack.
    STARRING:Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, Stephen Graham, Matt Helm, Rob Morgan, Travis Quentin

† = no release date scheduled / could be delayed / may not be eligible
†† = could be campaigned in the lead or supporting categories / original or adapted screenplay categories
††† = official eligible nominees not yet determined by AMPAS

AWARDS CATEGORY HISTORY

The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. The most awarded films in Oscar history are “Ben-Hur,” “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” at 11 statuettes. The most nominated films in Academy history are “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land” at 14. “La La Land” is the only film of the three to have lost best picture. The biggest Oscar “losers,” meaning most nominated and walk away with zero awards, are 1977’s “The Turning Point” and 1985’s “The Color Purple” at 11 each. This category’s history is a bit more complex to track since it’s been through many inceptions of the history of AMPAS. When it was split between sound mixing and sound editing, there are different record holders. Classic sound engineer Thomas T. Moulton and Greg P. Russell have the most nominations at 16, although the former netted five Oscars over his career. The latter has the record for most nominations and no win. Moulton has the most win record shared with Douglas Shearer and Fred Hynes, though they garnered 15 and 7 nominations. Richard King and Ben Burtt have the most wins for sound editing, with Alan Robert Murray having the most nods with 10.

Academy Awards Predictions (All Categories)

2021 Golden Globes Predictions (Film)

2021 SAG Awards Predictions (Film)

About the Academy Awards (Oscars)

The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. Since 1927, nominees and winners are selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). 17 branches are represented within the near 10,000 person membership. The branches are actors, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, makeup and hairstylists, marketing and public relations, members-at-large, members-at-large (artists’ representatives), music, producers, production design, short films and feature animation, sound, visual effects and writers.

  • The Oscars are scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2021.

About the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes Awards, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is held annually with 93 members since 1944. The group recognizes excellence in film and television across drama and comedy or musical categories. Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” holds the record for the most awards won by a single film with seven. Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and Alan Parker’s “Midnight Express” are next in line with six each. Robert Altman’s “Nashville” has the record for most nominations received by a film with 11 while Colin Higgins’ “Foul Play,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part III” and Mike Nichols’ “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” share the record for receiving the most nominations and not winning a single award at seven.

  • The Golden Globes are scheduled for Feb. 28, 2021.

About the SAG Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards, hosted by SAG-AFTRA, is an annual award show that has become one of the most important and key indicators for the Oscars. Four films have won the most SAG awards with three: 1999’s “American Beauty,” 2002’s “Chicago,” 2011’s “The Help” and 2017’s “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Three movies have been nominated for the most SAG awards with five: 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love,” “Chicago” and 2008’s “Doubt.”

  • The SAG Awards are scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 4, 2021

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