Academy Award for
Sound Editing
The Academy Award of Merit for
Best Sound Editing is an Academy Award granted yearly to a film exhibiting the
finest or most aesthetic sound editing or sound design. The award is usually
received by the Supervising Sound Editors of the film, perhaps accompanied by
the Sound Designers.
The Sound Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, like many
of the other branches, selects its nominees at an informal gathering called the
"Bake-Off" on the last Tuesday in the January following the qualifying year. At
the Sound Bake-Off, highlight reels of films submitted for nomination are
screened in a controlled theater environment. The screening is generally open to
the public, but only sound branch members may vote, and the only occasion the
sound branch members have for voting is at the Bake-Off. The rules for balloting
have been changed often, but voting involves giving each film a subjective
numerical score, based on the quality of the highlight reel. The scores for each
are averaged, and if a minimum of three films score above a threshold (often 7
out of 10), those films are passed on to the entire Academy for voting as the
Nominees. The nominees for Academy Award for Sound are selected at the same
gathering.
In some years, not enough films score above the threshold for official
nomination; in that case, no films are nominated for Best Sound Editing, and a
"Special Achievement" Oscar is granted to the highest-scoring film; when this
has happened, it is indicated below.
This is a list of films that have won or been nominated for an Academy Award for
Best Sound Effects (1963-1967, 1975), Sound Effects Editing (1977, 1981-1999),
or Sound Editing (1979, 2000-present). See Academy Award for Sound for a
corresponding list of winners for Best Sound.
1960s
1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World -- Walter G. Elliott
A Gathering of Eagles -- Robert L. Bratton
1964 Goldfinger -- Norman Wanstall
The Lively Set -- Robert L. Bratton
1965 The Great Race -- Tregoweth Brown
Von Ryan's Express -- Walter A. Rossi
1966 Grand Prix -- Gordon Daniel
Fantastic Voyage -- Walter Rossi
1967 The Dirty Dozen -- John Poyner
In the Heat of the Night -- James A. Richard
1968 none given
1969 none given
[edit]
1970s
1970 none given
1971 none given
1972 none given
1973 none given
1974 none given
1975 The Hindenburg -- Peter Berkos (Special Achievement Award)
1976 none given
1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- Frank E. Warner (Special Achievement
Award)
1978 none given
1979 The Black Stallion -- Alan Splet (Special Achievement Award)
1980s
1980 none given
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark -- Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson (Special
Achievement Award)
1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial -- Charles L. Campbell, Ben Burtt
Das Boot -- Mike Le-Mare
Poltergeist -- Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard L. Anderson
1983 The Right Stuff -- Jay Boekelheide
Return of the Jedi -- Ben Burtt
1984 The River -- Kay Rose (Special Achievement Award)
1985 Back to the Future -- Charles L. Campbell, Robert Rutledge
Ladyhawke -- Bob Henderson, Alan Murray
Rambo: First Blood Part II -- Frederick J. Brown
1986 Aliens -- Don Sharpe
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home -- Mark Mangini
Top Gun -- Cecelia Hall, George Watters II
1987 RoboCop -- Stephen Flick, John Pospisil (Special Achievement Award)
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit -- Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
Die Hard -- Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
Willow -- Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
Black Rain -- Milton C. Burrow, William L. Manger
Lethal Weapon 2 -- Robert Henderson, Alan Robert Murray
1990s
1990 The Hunt for Red October
-- Cecelia Hall, George Watters II
Flatliners -- Charles L. Campbell, Richard C. Franklin
Total Recall -- Stephen H. Flick
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day -- Gary Rydstrom, Gloria S. Borders
Backdraft -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country -- George Watters II, F. Hudson Miller
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula -- Tom C. McCarthy, David E. Stone
Aladdin -- Mark Mangini
Under Siege -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
1993 Jurassic Park -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
Cliffhanger -- Wylie Stateman, Gregg Baxter
The Fugitive -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
1994 Speed -- Stephen Hunter Flick
Clear and Present Danger -- Bruce Stambler, John Leveque
Forrest Gump -- Gloria S. Borders, Randy Thom
1995 Braveheart -- Lon Bender, Per Hallberg
Batman Forever -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
Crimson Tide -- George Watters II
1996 The Ghost and the Darkness -- Bruce Stambler
Daylight -- Richard L. Anderson, David A. Whittaker
Eraser-- Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
1997 Titanic -- Tom Bellfort, Christopher Boyes
Face/Off -- Mark P. Stoeckinger, Per Hallberg
The Fifth Element -- Mark Mangini
1998 Saving Private Ryan -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
Armageddon -- George Watters II
The Mask of Zorro -- David McMoyler
1999 The Matrix -- Dane A. Davis
Fight Club -- Ren Klyce, Richard Hymns
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace -- Ben Burtt, Tom Bellfort
2000s
2000 U-571 -- Jon Johnson
Space Cowboys -- Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
2001 Pearl Harbor -- George Watters II, Christopher Boyes
Monsters, Inc. -- Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers -- Ethan Van der Ryn, Michael Hopkins
Minority Report -- Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom
Road to Perdition -- Scott A. Hecker
2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World -- Richard King
Finding Nemo -- Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl -- Christopher Boyes,
George Watters II
2004 The Incredibles -- Michael Silvers and Randy Thom
The Polar Express -- Randy Thom and Dennis Leonard
Spider-Man 2 -- Paul N. J. Ottosson
2005 King Kong --Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn
War of the Worlds -- Richard King
Memoirs of a Geisha -- Wylie Stateman