For our fourteenth Rundown article, we tackle the aural category that brings music, dialogue, and effects together. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Sound as well as general commentary about the race. Tuesday, we’ll cover the literal foundations of a film.

Best Sound

Winner Predictions

• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Avatar: The Way of Water
• The Batman
• Elvis
• Top Gun: Maverick (WL O) (PP R) [New] (TB O) (TL O)

Runner-Up Predictions

• All Quiet on the Western Front (WL O) (TB O) (TL R) [New]
• Elvis (PP R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: This is a tough category because there are two films that encapsulate what it means to win the Oscar for Best Sound. Top Gun: Maverick is an effects-filled, adrenaline rush of a movie that relies heavily on its sound design and, unlike a lot of films like it but more chaotic, this one actually deserves praise. All Quiet is the other and that’s a war film. Were it the Sound Editing category, I’d call a split between the two, but we can’t now. Sound doesn’t as often go to war films these days, so I’m going with the Cinema Audio Society winner this time, but would not be shocked by an All Quiet win.
Peter J. Patrick: I would personally give this to the subtler sounds of All Quiet on the Western Front, but I think the voters are going to go with the higher profile (in the U.S. anyway) releases of Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis.
Tripp Burton: No revised predictions or commentary provided.
Thomas La Tourrette: With its win at the Audio Society over the weekend, Top Gun: Maverick has put itself in lead position for this Oscar. It was always viewed as the frontrunner, though the win by All Quiet on the Western Front at the BAFTAs does show that it is not a slam dunk. Top Gun was nominated for six Oscars, but this now looks like this is the only one it will win.

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