Taylor Swift Could Earn First Oscar Nod With Toy Story 5 Song

Taylor Swift has spent more than a decade pursuing her first Academy Award nomination, campaigning through original songs and projects like her All Too Well music video, but voters have left her out repeatedly (according to Forbes reporting). Now, her contribution to Toy Story 5 may finally end that streak. The track I Knew It, I Knew You has entered the awards conversation as a leading contender for Best Original Song (as noted by Variety).

Chart Success and Oscar Eligibility for Toy Story 5

Commercial success is never a requirement in the Best Original Song race, but chart dominance provides a distinct advantage by driving voter familiarity before official campaigning begins. I Knew It, I Knew You debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying at the top for two frames and spending its entire chart run within the top five (Forbes noted). The single marks Swift’s first Oscar-eligible movie song to conquer the Hot 100.

Recent precedents for chart-topping movie songs securing Academy recognition include Golden from KPop Demon Hunters and Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling! from Trolls, both of which became enormous commercial hits before competing for Best Original Song (according to Forbes). Because familiarity is half the battle in any awards race, the track’s broad audience reach places it in a strong position alongside other contenders slated for the 2027 ceremony.

Franchise Legacy and Previous Awards Contention

Toy Story holds a unique distinction as the only franchise with a perfect Best Original Song record, earning nominations for all four prior installments in 1995, 1999, 2010, and 2019 (Variety reported). Randy Newman established that legacy with You’ve Got a Friend in Me and returned with When She Loved Me, We Belong Together, and I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away (Forbes noted). A Swift-Antonoff collaboration extends that unbroken streak (Variety reported).

Despite her dominance at the Grammy Awards — where she has won 14 trophies from over 50 career nominations and secured a Best Song Written for Visual Media win for Safe & Sound from The Hunger Games — Oscar glory has remained out of reach. Swift has previously competed four times in the equivalent category at the Golden Globes with Safe & Sound, Sweeter Than Fiction from One Chance, Beautiful Ghosts from Cats, and Carolina from Where the Crawdads Sing, though she did not win (Forbes reported).

Broader Industry Milestones and Upcoming Contenders

A potential Oscar win for Swift would leave her one Tony shy of competitive EGOT status, joining the ranks of Adele, Cher, Eminem, and Lady Gaga who are similarly awaiting Broadway milestones (Variety noted). Alongside the Pixar release, the broader awards conversation encompasses Lionsgate’s billion-dollar film Michael and Olivia Wilde’s The Invite for A24, framing the initial 2026 awards landscape as Hollywood awaits the fall festival circuit (Variety reported).