The motion picture academy made it a little easier in 2021 to predict the winners by combining Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing into one category: Best Sound. Both sound mixers and sound editors are recognized in the combined category. Up to six statuettes will be awarded to one production sound mixer, two supervising sound editors and three re-recording mixers. The inaugural winner of Best Sound was, appropriately enough “Sound of Metal.” In 2022 this prize went to “Dune” while “Top Gun: Maverick” won in 2023. The reigning champ is “The Zone of Interest.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Sound.)

The sound branch determines the nominees in two stages. First, members of the branch cast preferential ballots with the top 10 vote-getters, announced on December 17, moving on to the second stage. Members who attend screenings of excerpts from these 10 semi-finalists or attest that they have seen them cast...