Taylor Swift gave Oscar voters something to remember on Saturday night, delivering her first full-band performance since the Eras Tour ended at the 6th annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles.
Introduced by Conan O’Brien as “John, Paul, George and Ringo all in one,” the 36-year-old superstar played a four-song set that included the live debut of “The Fate of Ophelia” and, crucially, “I Knew It, I Knew You” — her original song from Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which is eligible for Best Original Song at the 2027 Academy Awards. She closed with fan favorites “Blank Space” and “Love Story.”
The performance was widely read as the opening move of an Oscar campaign: Swift has never received an Academy Award nomination, and industry watchers see the Toy Story 5 track as her strongest shot yet. The song recently hit No. 1 on U.S. country radio — her first country chart-topper in 13 years.
The gala itself was one of the season’s most star-studded evenings. Charlize Theron received the Icon Award, horror legend John Carpenter took the Luminary Award, and Colman Domingo earned the Vantage Award. Co-chairs included Steven Spielberg, Tom Ford and Robert Rodriguez, and the event raised more than $14 million for the museum, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Guests included Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore, Rami Malek, Janelle Monáe, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. With awards season now officially underway, Swift’s gala performance has set the tone: the race for Best Original Song just got a lot more interesting. Also read our weekend box office story and Zazie Beetz’s pregnancy reveal.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.