F1: The Movie, which stars Brad Pitt, has won the Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS)’s 2026 Award for Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film.
The AMPS Award recognises the outstanding contributions by film sound professionals in bringing cinematic storytelling to life through the creative and technical power of sound.
It honours the collaborative efforts of the Production Sound Mixer, Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editor, Supervising Sound Editor or Sound Designer, and Re-Recording Mixer. The Production Sound Mixer may also nominate a Key 1st Assistant Sound, ensuring all critical contributors are acknowledged and recognising exceptional teamwork.
The winning F1 sound team comprises: Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John AMPS and Dash Mason-Malik AMPS.
AMPS’ recognition of F1 is mirrored across the major international sound awards: it is one of only two titles this year, alongside Sinners, to receive Best Sound nominations from every major sound and awards body, including Bafta, MPSE, CAS, and the Oscars.
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, speaking on behalf of the F1 sound team, said: “I shrieked in my car (I pulled over first) and went on an instant texting frenzy to let my fellow ‘F1’ crew know the fantastic news. So grateful to Joe Kosinski, our filmmakers and the artists at Skywalker Sound for unparalleled support through every pitstop and over every finish line. To be recognised by our peers at such a high level for our work on F1 is a humbling privilege. We are well chuffed to say the least!”
Dash Mason-Malik added: “Thank you to AMPS – I feel honoured to receive an award from my fellow peers.”
George Foulgham, Chair of AMPS, said: “F1 is the worthy winner of this year's AMPS Film Sound Award. The meticulous and exhaustive production sound recording, coupled with the detailed engineering of the incredible sound design, mixed with the driving force of Hans Zimmer's score, creates a cinematic experience that takes the audience on a sonic ride they won't forget. AMPS is honoured to recognise the work of Gareth John AMPS, Dash Mason-Malik AMPS, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Juan Peralta, Gary A Rizzo, and their sound teams."
Kate Davis, Vice Chair of AMPS, added: “I was blown away by the F1 soundtrack. The sound work delivers an extraordinary balance of excitement, emotion, and realism, capturing the intensity of the sport while never losing sight of the human story. It’s an immersive experience that held me from start to finish.”
The AMPS Awards have a strong record in identifying future Bafta and Oscar winners.
Over the past 12 years, AMPS Feature Film Sound recipients have gone on to secure the Bafta Awards on 11 occasions and eight Oscars.
The awards are sponsored by Dolby Laboratories, Pinewood Group, Sennheiser, Deity Microphones, Bubblebee Industries, and Raycom.
Adrian Pennington recently went behind the scenes of F1: The Movie to discover the film’s custom-engineered cameras give the sensation of racing at 200mph from a driver’s eye view.
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