Final Oscar Predictions: Best Sound Oppenheimers Willie D. Burton Could Become Fi

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Achievement in Sound

Weekly Commentary (Updated March 7, 2024): In the highly competitive sound category, “Oppenheimer” production sound mixer Willie D. Burton could become the first Black person to win three Oscars in the category, an historic achievement. A victory for “Oppenheimer” would also grant Universal Pictures its 10th statue, placing it third overall behind Columbia Pictures and MGM.

Burton won two Academy Awards previously for “Bird” and “Dreamgirls.” Nominated alongside Burton is four-time winner Richard King (he won for best sound editing when the category was divided into two). He would become the most awarded, breaking his tie with Ben Burtt, and joining sound mixers Thomas T. Moulton, Douglas Shearer and Fred Hynes, who all have won five.

The closest competition to “Oppenheimer” is the BAFTA winning “The Zone of Interest,” which has outstanding work that adds to the intense nature of the drama.

Will Win: “Oppenheimer” (Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell)
Could Win: “The Zone of Interest” (Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn)
Should Win: “Oppenheimer”
Should have been here: “Robot Dreams” (Steven Ghouti, Fabiola Ordoyo, Laia Picón) and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Michael Semanick, Juan Peralta, Geoffrey G. Rubay)

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10.

And the Nominees Are:

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell

“The Zone of Interest” (A24) — Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

“Maestro” (Netflix) — Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount Pictures) — Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

“The Creator” (20th Century Studios) — Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Studio)**

“A Haunting in Venice” (20th Century Studios) — Colin Nicolson (production sound mixer), James H. Mather, Simon Chase (supervising sound editors), Andy Nelson, Mark Taylor (re-recording mixers)
“The Creator” (20th Century Studios) — Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn (supervising sound editors, sound designers), Ian Voigt (production sound mixer), Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic (re-recording mixers)
“Beau is Afraid” (A24)
“Dream Scenario” (A24)
“The Iron Claw” (A24)
“Past Lives” (A24)
“Priscilla” (A24)
“Showing Up” (A24)
“When You Finish Saving the World” (A24)
“You Hurt My Feelings” (A24)
“The Zone of Interest” (A24)
“32 Sounds” (Abramorama)
“Air” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“The Burial” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Paul Hsu (re-recording mixer, supervising sound editor), Dustin Fleetwood (production sound mixer)
“Cassandro” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Raúl Locatelli (production sound mixer), Javier Umpierrez (sound design), Michellee Couttolenc, Jaime Baksht (re-recording mixers)
“Foe” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Robert Mackenzie (sound designer, supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer), Roger Van Wensveen (production sound mixer), Glenn Newnham (dialogue and ADR supervisor)
“Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Fingernails” (Apple Original Films)
“Flora and Son” (Apple Original Films)
“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
“Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
“The Pigeon Tunnel” (Apple Original Films)
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” (Apple Original Films)
“Golda” (Bleecker Street)
“The Origin” (Bleecker Street)
“Suzume” (Crunchyroll)
“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Trolls Band Together” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Asteroid City” (Focus Features)
“Every Body” (Focus Features)
“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
“The Boy and the Heron” (GKids)
“BlackBerry” (IFC Films)
“The Taste of Things” (IFC Films/Sapan Studio)
“Migration” (Illumination)
“Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Illumination)
“Evil Does Not Exist” (Janus Films)
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate)
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (Lionsgate)
“John Wick Chapter 4” (Lionsgate)
“Joy Ride” (Lionsgate)
“Baby Ruby” (Magnet Releasing)
“Little Richard: I Am Everything” (Magnolia Pictures)
“Master Gardener” (Magnolia Pictures)
“The Stones and Brian Jones” (Magnolia Pictures)
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quanumania” (Marvel Studios)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel Studios) — David Acord, Cheryl Nardi (supervising sound editor), Christopher Boyes, Gary A. Rizzo (re-recording mixers), Lee Orloff (production sound mixer)
“The Marvels” (Marvel Studios)
“American Fiction” (MGM)
“Bottoms” (MGM/Orion) — Christopher Foster (supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer), Andrea Bella (sound designer), Robert C. Bigelow (production sound mixer)
“The Boys in the Boat” (MGM) — Julian Slater, Dan Morgan (supervising sound editors), Arthur Graley (sound designer), Dan Hiland, Tom Beckett (re-recording mixers), Danny Hambrook (production sound mixer)
“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (MGM) — Dominic Gibbs (supervising sound editor), Mark Taylor, Adam Scrivener (re-recording mixers), Adrian Bell (sound recordist)
“Creed III” (MGM)
“Landscape with Invisible Hand” (MGM)
“The Eternal Memory” (MTV Documentary Films)
“The Delinquents” (Mubi)
“Fallen Leaves” (Mubi)
“High & Low: John Galliano” (Mubi)
“The Settlers” (Mubi)
“Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)
“Eileen” (Neon)
“Ferrari” (Neon)
“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” (Neon)
“La Chimera” (Neon)
“Longlegs” (Neon)
“Mothers’ Instinct” (Neon)
“Origin” (Neon)
“Perfect Days” (Neon)
“Robot Dreams” (Neon)
“The Royal Hotel” (Neon)
“American Symphony” (Netflix)
“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” (Netflix)
“The Deepest Breath” (Netflix)
“El Conde” (Netflix)
“Fair Play” (Netflix)
“The Killer” (Netflix)
“Leave the World Behind” (Netflix)
“Leo” (Netflix)
“May December” (Netflix)
“Maestro” (Netflix)
“The Magician’s Elephant” (Netflix)
“Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie” (Netflix)
“The Monkey King” (Netflix)
“Nimona” (Netflix)
“Nyad” (Netflix)
“Pain Hustlers” (Netflix)
“Rebel Moon” (Netflix)
“Reptile” (Netflix)
“Rustin” (Netflix)
“Society of the Snow” (Netflix)
“Stamped from the Beginning” (Netflix)
“Dungeons & Dragons” (Paramount Pictures) — Ronan Hill (production sound mixer), Warren Hendricks (supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer), Paul Massey (re-recording mixer)
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount Pictures) — Chris Munro (production sound mixer), James H. Mather (supervising sound editor), Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor (re-recording mixers)
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures) — Mark Mangini (sound designer, re-recording mixer), Michael Semanick (re-recording mixer)
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (Paramount Pictures) — Simon Pidrette (production sound mixer), Ethan Van Der Ryn, Erik Aadahl (supervising sound editors), Ron Bartlett, Anna Behlmer (re-recording mixers)
“Elemental” (Pixar) — Coya Elliott (supervising sound editor), Ren Klyce (supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer), Stephen Urata (re-recording mixer), Paul McGrath (production sound mixer)
“Black Ice” (Roadside Attractions)
“Camp Hideout” (Roadside Attractions)
“Dreamin’ Wild” (Roadside Attractions)
“The Last Rider” (Roadside Attractions)
“Moving On” (Roadside Attractions)
“The Pod Generation” (Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment)
“Somewhere in Queens” (Roadside Attractions)
“All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures) — Stevie Hayward (production sound mixer), Joakim Sundström (supervising sound editor)
“Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Next Goal Wins” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Theater Camp” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Dumb Money” (Sony Pictures)
“The Equalizer 3” (Sony Pictures)
“Gran Turismo” (Sony Pictures)
“No Hard Feelings” (Sony Pictures)
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)
“Freud’s Last Session” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“A Little Prayer” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Miracle Club” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Persian Version” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Shadya” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Shortcomings” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Teachers’ Lounge” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“They Shot the Piano Player” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Cocaine Bear” (Universal Pictures)
“The Exorcist: Believer” (Universal Pictures)
“Fast X” (Universal Pictures)
“M3gan” (Universal Pictures)
“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
“She Came to Me” (Vertical Entertainment)
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Warner Bros.)
“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
“Blue Beetle” (Warner Bros.)
“The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.)
“The Flash” (Warner Bros.)
“Wonka” (Warner Bros.)
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“The Little Mermaid” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Simon Hayes, Renée Tondelli, Eugene Gearty, Mike Prestwood Smith, Gilbert Lake
“Wish” (Walt Disney Pictures)

2022 category winner: “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures) — Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

Oscars Predictions Categories

About the Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. Since 1927, nominees and winners have been selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Seventeen branches are represented within the nearly 10,000-person membership. The branches are actors, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, makeup and hairstylists, marketing and public relations, members-at-large, members-at-large (artists’ representatives), music, producers, production design, short films and feature animation, sound, visual effects and writers.

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