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
Phonaesthetics (also spelled phonesthetics in North America) is the study of beauty and pleasantness associated with the sounds of certain words or parts of words. The term was first used in this sense, perhaps by during the mid-20th century and ...
sound mixing, 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 mixers,
re-recording mixers, 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 recorde ...
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, Best Sound Mixing and
Best Sound Editing
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
were separate categories.
For the second and third years of this category (i.e., the
4th Academy Awards
The 4th Academy Awards were held on November 10, 1931 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, awarding films released between August 1, 1930, and July 31, 1931. '' Cimarron'' was the first Western to win Best Picture, and would rema ...
and the
5th Academy Awards
The 5th Academy Awards were held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and J ...
) only the names of the film companies were listed.
Paramount 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 †
;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
*
Richard Hymns
Richard Hymns (born 18 July 1947) is an English sound editor. He won three Academy Awards for his work on ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'', ''Jurassic Park'' and ''Saving Private Ryan''. He was also nominated for nine more in the category ...
*
Gary Rydstrom
;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 Editing ...
*
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
*
Mike Hopkins
*
Stephen Hunter Flick
Stephen Hunter Flick (born June 21, 1949, in Evanston, Illinois) is an American sound editor with over 170 film credits.
Oscar Nominations
All of these are in Best Sound Editing, with one being a Special achievement award.
* 1982 Academy Awa ...
†
*
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). I ...
*
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 ''Transf ...
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). I ...
;9 nominations
*
Richard Hymns
Richard Hymns (born 18 July 1947) is an English sound editor. He won three Academy Awards for his work on ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'', ''Jurassic Park'' and ''Saving Private Ryan''. He was also nominated for nine more in the category ...
;8 nominations
*
Gary Rydstrom
*
George Watters II
*
Ben Burtt †
;7 nominations
*
Wylie Stateman
Wylie Stateman (born November 20, 1957) is an American sound director, supervising sound editor, sound designer, and post production media entrepreneur. Stateman has supervised over 150 sound projects, resulting in 9 Academy Award nominations, 6 B ...
;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 Editing ...
*
Christopher Boyes
*
Richard King
*
Michael Silvers
Michael Silvers is a sound editor who has often worked with Pixar. He has worked on nearly every Pixar feature film.
He has over 110 credits to his name.
Oscar history
All of these films were for Best Sound Editing.
* 74th Academy Awards-Nom ...
*
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 ''Transf ...
;5 nominations
*
Stephen Hunter Flick
Stephen Hunter Flick (born June 21, 1949, in Evanston, Illinois) is an American sound editor with over 170 film credits.
Oscar Nominations
All of these are in Best Sound Editing, with one being a Special achievement award.
* 1982 Academy Awa ...
†
*
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
Bruce Stambler is a sound editor. He won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for the drama thriller film ''The Ghost and the Darkness'' (1996). This marked both his first win and fifth consecutive nomination in the category, after being r ...
*
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 numerou ...
*
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
*
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 Rober ...
*
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 ...
*
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 Youn ...
*
Steve Boeddeker
*
Gloria Borders
*
Robert Bratton
*
Brent Burge
Brent Burge is a sound editor. Burge was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing
The Academy Award for Best Sound Editing was an Academy Award granted yearly to a film exhibiting the finest or most aesthetic sound design or soun ...
*
Glenn Freemantle
*
Eugene Gearty
*
Cecelia Hall
*
Robert G. Henderson
*
Martin Hernández
Martin Hernández (born 1 June 1964) is a Mexican sound editor and designer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work on the films '' Birdman'' (2014) and '' The Revenant'' (2015), the latter of which also earned him a British Academy ...
*
Mildred Iatrou Morgan
*
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
*
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 E ...
*
Philip Stockton
*
Oliver Tarney
*
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
† = includes special achievement awards
See also
*
Academy Award for Best Sound Editing
The Academy Award for Best Sound Editing was an Academy Award granted yearly to a film exhibiting the finest or most aesthetic sound design or sound editing. Sound editing is the creation of sound effects (such as foley). The award was usually ...
*
BAFTA Award for Best Sound
*
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 ...
*
Film sound awards