The Academy Award for Best Sound is an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
that recognizes the finest or most
euphonic sound mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...
, recording,
sound design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
, and
sound editing. The award used to go to the studio sound departments until a rule change in 1969 said it should be awarded to the specific technicians. The first were
Murray Spivack and
Jack Solomon for ''
Hello, Dolly!''. It is generally awarded to the
production sound mixer
A production sound mixer, location sound recordist, location sound engineer, or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production u ...
s,
re-recording mixer
A re-recording mixer in North America, also known as a dubbing mixer in Europe, is a post-production audio engineer who mixes recorded dialogue, sound effects and music to create the final version of a soundtrack for a feature film, television p ...
s, and
supervising sound editor
A sound editor is a creative professional responsible for selecting and assembling sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mixing or mastering of a television program, motion picture, video game, or any production involving recorded ...
s of the winning film. In the lists below, the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees. Before the
93rd Academy Awards
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 202 ...
, Best Sound Mixing and
Best Sound Editing were separate categories.
For the second and third years of this category (i.e., the
4th Academy Awards and the
5th Academy Awards) only the names of the film companies were listed.
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
Publix Studio Sound Department won in both years.
Winners and nominees
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Multiple nominations and awards for Best Sound Mixing
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Sound Editing
Multiple awards
;4 awards
*
Richard King
*
Ben Burtt
Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, ''Invasion of the Body ...
†
;3 awards
*
Charles L. Campbell
Charles L. Campbell (August 17, 1930 – June 21, 2013) was an American sound engineer who won three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing. He also served as Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) 1984-1987.
Early l ...
*
Per Hallberg
Per Hallberg (born December 30, 1958), is a Swedish film sound editor whose work has appeared in over 40 movies. He has won three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing
for the films '' Braveheart'' (1995), '' The Bourne Ultimatum'' (2007) and ...
*
Richard Hymns
*
Gary Rydstrom
Gary Roger Rydstrom (born June 29, 1959) is an American sound designer and film director. He has been nominated for 20 Academy Awards for his work in sound for movies, winning 7.
Life and career
Rydstrom was born in Chicago. He graduated from t ...
;2 awards
*
Bub Asman
Bub Asman (born August 17, 1949, in Louisville, Kentucky) is a sound editor known for his collaborations with director Clint Eastwood. He and his colleagues on the 2006 film '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editi ...
*
Karen Baker Landers
Karen Baker Landers is a two-time Academy Award-winning sound editor. She also has won and been nominated for several Motion Picture Sound Editors awards as well as winning the BAFTA Award for Best Sound. She often works with Per Hallberg.
She h ...
*
Christopher Boyes
Christopher Boyes is an American sound engineer. He has won four Academy Awards and has been nominated for another ten. He has worked on more than 100 films since 1991.
Academy Awards
Boyes has won four Academy Awards and has been nominated for ...
*
Mike Hopkins
*
Stephen Hunter Flick †
*
Alan Robert Murray
Alan Robert Murray (July 30, 1954 – February 24, 2021) was an American sound editor.
Murray was nominated for ten Academy Awards. In 2007, Murray won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for his work on '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2005) ...
*
Paul N. J. Ottosson
*
George Watters II
*
Ethan Van der Ryn
Ethan Van der Ryn (born October 21, 1962) is an American sound editor.
He won 2 Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and ''King Kong''. He earned further Academy Awards nominations for ''Transfo ...
Multiple nominations
;10 nominations
*
Alan Robert Murray
Alan Robert Murray (July 30, 1954 – February 24, 2021) was an American sound editor.
Murray was nominated for ten Academy Awards. In 2007, Murray won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for his work on '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2005) ...
;9 nominations
*
Richard Hymns
;8 nominations
*
Gary Rydstrom
Gary Roger Rydstrom (born June 29, 1959) is an American sound designer and film director. He has been nominated for 20 Academy Awards for his work in sound for movies, winning 7.
Life and career
Rydstrom was born in Chicago. He graduated from t ...
*
George Watters II
*
Ben Burtt
Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, ''Invasion of the Body ...
†
;7 nominations
*
Wylie Stateman
;6 nominations
*
Bub Asman
Bub Asman (born August 17, 1949, in Louisville, Kentucky) is a sound editor known for his collaborations with director Clint Eastwood. He and his colleagues on the 2006 film '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editi ...
*
Christopher Boyes
Christopher Boyes is an American sound engineer. He has won four Academy Awards and has been nominated for another ten. He has worked on more than 100 films since 1991.
Academy Awards
Boyes has won four Academy Awards and has been nominated for ...
*
Richard King
*
Michael Silvers
*
Ethan Van der Ryn
Ethan Van der Ryn (born October 21, 1962) is an American sound editor.
He won 2 Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and ''King Kong''. He earned further Academy Awards nominations for ''Transfo ...
;5 nominations
*
Stephen Hunter Flick †
*
Mark Mangini
Mark Mangini (born 1956) is an American sound editor with over 125 film credits. He won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Sound Editing along with David White for their work on '' Mad Max: Fury Road''.
Mangini is renowned for recording and ed ...
*
Bruce Stambler
*
Matthew Wood
;4 nominations
*
Lon Bender
Lon Ethan Bender (born July 22, 1959) is an American supervising sound editor, business executive and inventor. Bender won the Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing for his work on '' Braveheart'' (1995). He has been recognized for numer ...
*
Charles L. Campbell
Charles L. Campbell (August 17, 1930 – June 21, 2013) was an American sound engineer who won three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing. He also served as Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) 1984-1987.
Early l ...
*
Per Hallberg
Per Hallberg (born December 30, 1958), is a Swedish film sound editor whose work has appeared in over 40 movies. He has won three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing
for the films '' Braveheart'' (1995), '' The Bourne Ultimatum'' (2007) and ...
*
John Leveque
*
Randy Thom
David Randall Thom (born August 21, 1951) is an American sound designer and the current director of sound design at Skywalker Sound.
Career
Randy Thom began working at FM radio station WYSO at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio as a volunte ...
;3 nominations
*
Richard L. Anderson †
*
Mike Hopkins
*
Skip Lievsay
Skip Lievsay is an American supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer and sound designer for film and television, Lievsay has worked with filmmakers and directors including the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Jonathan Demme and Ro ...
*
Paul N. J. Ottosson
*
Mark Stoeckinger
;2 nominations
*
Erik Aadahl
Erik Aadahl (born September 16, 1976) is an American sound editor. He is best known for providing Godzilla's roar in the 2014 film of the same name. He also voiced Bumblebee in '' Transformers: The Last Knight''.
Career
He graduated from the U ...
*
Karen Baker Landers
Karen Baker Landers is a two-time Academy Award-winning sound editor. She also has won and been nominated for several Motion Picture Sound Editors awards as well as winning the BAFTA Award for Best Sound. She often works with Per Hallberg.
She h ...
*
Tom Bellfort
Tom Bellfort is a sound editor. He has done sound editing on over 80 films since 1983.
He was a member of The Saul Zaentz Film Center, Skywalker Sound, and Soundelux.
Filmography
Select titles Bellfort worked on at Skywalker Sound
*''The Yo ...
*
Steve Boeddeker
Steve Boeddeker is a sound editor. Boeddeker and fellow sound editor Richard Hymns were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for the film ''All Is Lost'' (2013).
Filmography
* Monkeybone (2001) Sound Designer
*Frequency (2000) ...
*
Gloria Borders
Gloria Borders is a sound effects editor, best known for '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' for which she won an Oscar as well for Best Sound Editing. She was also the General Manager for Skywalker Sound.
Borders attended Moorestown Friends School ...
*
Robert Bratton
*
Brent Burge
*
Glenn Freemantle
*
Eugene Gearty
Eugene Gearty is an American sound engineer. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film ''Gangs of New York''. He has worked on over 80 films since 1983. At the 84th Academy Awards, Gearty won an Oscar for Be ...
*
Cecelia Hall
*
Robert G. Henderson
Robert G. Henderson is an American retired sound editor. He got his start on the TV series '' Hogan's Heroes''.
Oscar Nominations
Both of these are in Best Sound Editing.
* 1985 Academy Awards-Nominated for '' Ladyhawke''. Nomination shared w ...
*
Martin Hernández
*
Mildred Iatrou Morgan
Mildred Iatrou Morgan is an American sound editor and audio engineer. She is of Greek descent.
Work
Some of her works include:
* ''The Fast and the Furious'' (2001)
* ''Catch Me If You Can'' (2002)
* ''Antwone Fisher'' (2002)
* '' Sinbad: Lege ...
*
Ren Klyce
Ren Klyce is a Japanese-American sound designer and sound mixer. He has been nominated for nine Academy Awards; six for Best Sound and three for Best Sound Editing. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with director David Fincher, ...
*
Ai-Ling Lee
Ai-Ling Lee is a Singaporean sound editor, re-recording mixer and audio engineer working in Los Angeles, California. Her works on films, '' Bruce Almighty'' (2003), ''Spider-Man 2'' (2004), '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), '' The Twilight Saga: New ...
*
Tom Myers
*
Walter Rossi
Walter Rossi (July 12, 1894 – February 12, 1978) was a sound editor who won 1 Academy Award and was nominated for 2 more Academy Awards.
Oscar nominations
* 1957 Academy Awards-Award for '' The Enemy Below'' in the category of Best Special ...
*
Philip Stockton
*
Oliver Tarney
Oliver Tarney is a British sound supervisor and sound designer who is most known for his work with Ridley Scott and Paul Greengrass.
Tarney was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for the 2013 film '' Captain Phillips''. He wa ...
*
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle (born 1961) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated sound editor. She has worked on over 120 films to date. She has won 5 Golden Reel Award (Motion Picture Sound Editors), Golden Reel Awards at the Motion Picture Sound Edit ...
† = includes special achievement awards
See also
*
Academy Award for Best Sound Editing
*
BAFTA Award for Best Sound
This is a list of winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Sound, which is presented to sound designers, sound editors, sound engineers, and sound mixers, given out by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 1969.
Winner ...
*
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sound
The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sound is a retired award given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association from 2009 to 2011.
List of winners and nominees
2000s
2009: ''Avatar''
* ''Distric ...
Notes
References
{{Academy Award Best Sound Editing
Sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
*
Film sound awards