For our thirteenth Rundown article, we look at the aural categories that aren’t controlled by composers. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing as well as general commentary about the race. Tomorrow, we’ll cover two categories that are the base foundation of motion pictures.

Best Sound Mixing

Winner Predictions

• Argo
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Les Misérables (O) (O) (R) [New]
• Skyfall

Runner-Up Predictions

• Life of Pi (R) [New]
• Skyfall (R) [New] (R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: With a Cinema Audio Society award under its belt and the novelty of blending live singing with pre-recorded orchestral music, sound effects and other elements, Les Misérables seems to be in the lead for the Oscar. There was a time with Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall seemed sure to compete, but Les Mis should follow a number of past musical winners in this category.
Peter J. Patrick: I call this the nicest sounds category because if there’s a musical nominated, it will likely win.
Tripp Burton: Both Chicago and Dreamgirls picked up this award, so the work on the completely sung-through Les Misérables should give it its only non-Anne Hathaway win. Unless Life of Pi really starts to sweep the tech awards.

Best Sound Editing

Winner Predictions

• Argo
• Django Unchained
• Life of Pi (O)
• Skyfall (R) [New]
• Zero Dark Thirty (R) [New]

Runner-Up Predictions

• Life of Pi (R) [New]
• Skyfall (O) (O)

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Wesley Lovell: All the Motion Picture Sound Editors did was mess with my predictions. I had thought Skyfall would be a pretty safe winner here, but Life of Pi took home two awards I hadn’t expected it to and with its strength in the guilds, it could be a film that the Academy gives several creative awards to regardless of the competiont. I’m still giving the slight edge to Skyfall since it did win the most important of the night; however, Life of Pi could be a spoiler.
Peter J. Patrick: Seems to me this award usually goes to the film that seems to have been the toughest to get all the sound right.
Tripp Burton: This category could go anywhere, but this award usually goes to the film that had to invent the most sounds, which would seem to go to the fantasy-based Life of Pi this year.

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