Academy Award for Best Sound facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Academy Award for Best Sound |
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|---|---|
| Presented by | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | November 5, 1930 (for films released during the 1929/1930 film season) |
| Currently held by | Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Doug Hemphill Dune: Part Two (2024) |
The Academy Award for Best Sound is a special prize given out at the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. This award celebrates the best work in movie sound, including how sounds are mixed, recorded, designed, and edited. Think about all the sounds you hear in a movie – from quiet whispers to huge explosions. This award honors the talented people who make those sounds perfect for the film.
Before 1969, this award used to go to the entire sound department of a movie studio. But then, the rules changed. After that, the award started going directly to the specific sound experts who worked on the film. The first people to win under these new rules were Murray Spivack and Jack Solomon for their work on the movie Hello, Dolly!. Today, the award usually goes to the people who mix the sound, record it, and are in charge of all the sound editing for the winning movie.
For a long time, from 1963 to 2019, there were actually two separate sound awards: one for Best Sound Mixing and another for Best Sound Effects Editing. This meant more chances to celebrate different parts of movie sound!
Contents
What is Movie Sound?
Movie sound is super important! It helps tell the story, makes you feel emotions, and pulls you into the film. Imagine a scary movie without any creepy sounds, or an action movie without the roar of engines. Sound makes movies come alive.
Sound Mixing
Sound mixing is like being a DJ for a movie. It's when sound engineers take all the different sounds – like dialogue (what people say), music, and sound effects – and blend them together perfectly. They make sure everything is at the right volume and sounds clear.
Sound Editing and Design
Sound editing is about creating and choosing all the sounds you hear that aren't dialogue or music. This includes things like footsteps, car crashes, or the chirping of birds. Sound designers are like artists who create unique sounds to make a movie feel real or even magical.
Early Winners: Studio Powerhouses
In the very early days of this award, for the 4th and 5th Academy Awards, the prize didn't go to individual people. Instead, it was given to the film companies themselves. For example, Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department won the award two years in a row! This shows how much the movie studios were in charge of everything back then.
| Year | Film | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| 1929–1930 (3rd) |
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| The Big House | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Douglas Shearer | |
| The Case of Sergeant Grischa | RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, John Tribby | |
| The Love Parade | Paramount Famous Lasky Studio Sound Department, Franklin B. Hansen | |
| Raffles | United Artists Studio Sound Department, Oscar Lagerstrom | |
| Song of the Flame | First National Studio Sound Department, George Groves | |
| 1930–1931 (4th) |
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| Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department | ||
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department | ||
| RKO Radio Studio Sound Department | ||
| Samuel Goldwyn-United Artists Studio Sound Department | ||
| 1931–1932 (5th) |
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| Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department | ||
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department | ||
| RKO Radio Studio Sound Department | ||
| Warner Bros.-First National Studio Sound Department | ||
Recent Winners: A Look at the 2020s
In recent years, the Academy Award for Best Sound has continued to honor amazing work. The award now combines both sound mixing and sound editing into one category, recognizing the whole sound team.
| Year | Film | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 (93rd) |
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| Sound of Metal | Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés Navarrete and Phillip Bladh | |
| Greyhound | Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman | |
| Mank | Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin | |
| News of the World | Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett | |
| Soul | Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker | |
| 2021 (94th) |
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| Dune | Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett | |
| Belfast | Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri | |
| No Time to Die | Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor | |
| The Power of the Dog | Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb | |
| West Side Story | Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy | |
| 2022 (95th) |
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| Top Gun: Maverick | Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor | |
| All Quiet on the Western Front | Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte | |
| Avatar: The Way of Water | Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges | |
| The Batman | Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson | |
| Elvis | David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller | |
| 2023 (96th) |
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| The Zone of Interest | Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn | |
| The Creator | Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic | |
| Maestro | Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic | |
| Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor | |
| Oppenheimer | Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O'Connell | |
| 2024 (97th) |
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| Dune: Part Two | Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill | |
| A Complete Unknown | Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco | |
| Emilia Pérez | Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta | |
| Wicked | Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis | |
| The Wild Robot | Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts |
Sound Experts: Multiple Wins and Nominations
Many talented sound engineers and designers have been nominated for and won this award multiple times. This shows how important their skills are in making great movies.
Top Award Winners
Some individuals have won the Best Sound award many times:
- Thomas T. Moulton and Douglas Shearer have each won 5 awards.
- Fred Hynes has won 4 awards.
- Gary Summers, Gary Rydstrom, Gregg Landaker, and Scott Millan have also won 4 awards each.
Sound Editing Champions
For the Best Sound Editing award (when it was a separate category), some names stand out:
- Richard King has won 5 awards.
- Ben Burtt has won 4 awards.
- Charles L. Campbell, Per Hallberg, Richard Hymns, and Gary Rydstrom have each won 3 awards.
How Finalists Are Chosen
The Academy's Sound Branch members are the ones who pick the movies that will be considered for the Best Sound award. They vote for up to ten movies they think have the best sound. The ten films with the most votes then move on to the next round of voting. This process helps ensure that only the very best sound work is recognized.
More About Movie Awards
If you're interested in other awards for movie sound, you can check out these:
- BAFTA Award for Best Sound
- Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sound
- Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards
- List of Academy Award–nominated films
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Óscar al mejor sonido para niños
