Are there Star Wars connections in the 98th Academy Award nominations?

Yes. ILM, Skywalker Sound, and Star Wars alumni appear across several awards-season films, especially in technical categories like Visual Effects and Sound.

What is ILM’s role in Oscars-season films?

Industrial Light & Magic contributes visual effects to major film productions and often has involvement in multiple awards-season projects

What is Skywalker Sound known for?

Skywalker Sound is one of the most respected sound design and audio post-production studios in the industry, with deep ties to Star Wars and frequent involvement in major films.

98th Oscars Nominations: ILM, Skywalker Sound & Star Wars Alumni Get Nods

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are in — and once again, Star Wars is all over the technical side of the industry… even when Star Wars itself isn’t the movie being nominated.

Because when the Oscars get to categories like Visual Effects and Sound, two names keep showing up behind the scenes:

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Skywalker Sound

In other words: Star Wars craftsmanship, still quietly carrying half of Hollywood on its back.

ILM’s Presence at the Oscars Is Basically a Tradition Now

Even when there isn’t a Star Wars film in the race, ILM is usually involved in multiple projects getting Academy recognition — and the 98th Oscars are no different.

The Academy’s process for Visual Effects typically includes a shortlist/bake-off stage before final nominees are locked in, and ILM talent is involved across a wide range of major titles competing in the category.

If you’ve ever watched a modern blockbuster and thought “how is this even possible?” — there’s a good chance ILM had a hand in it.

Skywalker Sound Is Still One of the Most Influential Names in Film Audio

Sound doesn’t get the same social media hype as VFX (because nobody is tweeting “insane Foley work”), but it’s one of the most important categories in filmmaking — and Skywalker Sound remains a top-tier contributor in the field.

Skywalker Sound has also been credited with involvement in multiple films in the Sound awards conversation this year, which keeps the Star Wars audio legacy tied to the Oscars year after year.

That matters because sound is storytelling:

tension
pacing
impact
atmosphere
emotional manipulation (the good kind)

Star Wars basically helped define what modern cinema sound design is.

“Star Wars Alumni” Are Everywhere (Even When Star Wars Isn’t)

The really fun part of scanning the nomination landscape isn’t just seeing ILM and Skywalker Sound.

It’s seeing people who built Star Wars also showing up in awards-season credits across other franchises and prestige films.

That includes long-running Skywalker Sound veterans and Academy-recognized craftspeople whose careers run straight through the Star Wars pipeline.

So even if Star Wars isn’t getting nominated in a major category this year, Star Wars talent absolutely is.

The Bigger Picture: Star Wars = Film Industry Infrastructure

This is the underrated truth:

Star Wars isn’t just a franchise. It’s an institution.

ILM changed the visual language of cinema.
Skywalker Sound helped define modern sound design.
And Star Wars alumni are embedded in the technical DNA of today’s biggest films.

So when Oscars season rolls around, Star Wars fans can still claim a win — because the people and studios that made Star Wars iconic are still shaping what “award-worthy” filmmaking looks like.

Final Thoughts

The 98th Academy Award nominations are a reminder that Star Wars influence doesn’t stop at lightsabers and lore.

It lives in:

the VFX pipelines
the audio stages
the production credits
and the craft disciplines that actually make movies work

And year after year, ILM and Skywalker Sound are still right there in the middle of it.

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