Apple TV’s blockbuster racing drama, F1: The Movie, capped a record-breaking run with Academy Award gold Sunday night. The hit popcorn flick, which stars Brad Pitt, won the Oscar for best sound.
Apple TV’s F1: The Movie takes home Oscar for best sound
Apple’s megahit original film F1: The Movie won the Oscar for best sound at the 98th Academy Awards after receiving four nominations. The film’s sound team — Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta — accepted the award for their work bringing the world of Formula 1 to life through audio.
Their approach combined authentic trackside recordings with carefully designed audio to capture the raw, visceral sound of modern grand prix cars. The feat clearly resonated with Academy voters and audiences alike.
The movie adds the honor to its already amazing box office and streaming receipts.
A record-breaking film
Photo: Apple TV
F1: The Movie grossed more than $633 million worldwide against a reported budget of $200 million to $300 million. It became the highest-grossing auto-racing film of all time, the highest-grossing film from Apple, and the highest-grossing film of Pitt’s career.
Jerry Bruckheimer produced the film and Joseph Kosinski directed it. The movie received four Oscar nominations in total, including best picture. Alongside Pitt, the film stars Damson Idris. Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton served as a producer and appeared on screen.
The story follows Sonny Hayes, an experienced driver who makes a sensational return to the sport to partner with his rookie teammate, Joshua Pearce (played by Idris). The crew shot it on and around real Grand Prix weekends. That lent an authenticity that set F1: The Movie apart from other motorsport dramas.
Awards season sweep and Apple TV’s growing legacy
Photo: Apple
The Oscar win is just the latest in a string of honors for the film. In addition to its Academy Award, F1 landed two Critics’ Choice Awards wins (for best editing and best sound), a 2026 BAFTA Film Awards win for best sound, and victories at the Cinema Audio Society Awards, the Visual Effects Society Awards, the British Film Designers Guild Awards and several other ceremonies.
The Oscar adds another prestigious chapter to Apple TV’s awards history. Apple’s CODA made history at the 2022 Academy Awards. It became the first motion picture starring a predominantly Deaf cast to win best picture. And it also became the first-ever film from a streaming service to land that honor.
And in 2023, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse won the Oscar for best animated short film. In 2024, Killers of the Flower Moon secured landmark representation for Indigenous artists.
Watch F1: The Movie on Apple TV
If you haven’t yet experienced what Academy Award-winning sound design actually sounds like through your AirPods, HomePod or Apple TV 4K, now is the perfect time. Stream F1: The Movie on Apple TV. Turn up the volume. This one was made to be heard.
Apple TV is available by subscription for $12.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
In November 2019, Apple TV “became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 773 wins and 3,337 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
