Taylor Swift Brings Her ‘Toy Story 5’ Oscar Contender to Hollywood’s Biggest Names

Taylor Swift sang her Toy Story 5 Oscar hopeful and debuted ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ live at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles Youtube Screenshot: Taylor Swift/Youtube Taylor Swift performed her Toy Story 5 song, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You,’ before a star‑studded Hollywood audience at the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, 17 October. The singer also gave ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ its first live performance during the same appearance at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Swift closed the fundraising event with a four‑song set at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Her performance brought together a new film soundtrack contribution, a highly anticipated live debut and two established hits. The appearance also placed her Toy Story 5 song before an audience drawn from across the film industry.

The Academy Museum confirmed Swift’s appearance in an announcement published on 8 October. The sixth annual gala honoured actress Charlize Theron, actor Colman Domingo and filmmaker and composer John Carpenter. It also supported the museum’s exhibitions, screenings and educational programmes.

Amy Homma, director and president of the Academy Museum and Academy Collection, welcomed Swift’s participation. ‘Taylor is an extraordinary talent whose work resonates around the world,’ Homma said in the museum’s announcement. She added that the institution looked forward to Swift’s performance and the evening’s celebrations.

Swift’s set included ‘Blank Space,’ ‘The Fate of Ophelia,’ ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ and ‘Love Story.’ Variety reported on 19 October that the performance marked her first full‑band appearance since the Eras Tour. The publication also confirmed that she had previously performed the Toy Story 5 song at the Grammy Museum and a private For Your Consideration showcase.

The distinction matters because the gala was not the song’s first live outing. Instead, it marked the first time Swift performed ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ with a full band, according to Variety. ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, meanwhile, received its first live performance at the event.

Swift wrote and produced ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. Walt Disney Records released the song on 5 June 2026, according to its official music listing. The track was created for Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which arrived in cinemas on 19 June.

Swift previously performed the song at the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles. Disney’s published coverage also documented her duet with Randy Newman on ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me.’ That appearance connected her new contribution with a familiar song from the franchise.

In an Instagram post, Swift described the opportunity to write for the characters as a longstanding dream. She also recalled beginning the writing process after attending an early screening. The post focused on her personal connection to the project and her response to the characters.

The performance comes during preparations for the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled for 14 March 2027. The Academy’s published calendar set 14 October 2026 as the submission deadline for the Original Song category. Nominations are scheduled to be announced on 21 January 2027.

‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ is being discussed as a potential contender for the Original Song award. However, an awards-season prediction is not an official nomination, and the Academy’s selection process remains separate from a song’s commercial success or reception at an industry event.

Swift has yet to receive an Oscar nomination. A nomination for the Toy Story 5 song would therefore represent a first for the singer. Whether the track advances in the competition will depend on the Academy’s eligibility and voting processes.

Conan O’Brien introduced Swift at the gala, drawing attention to their connection through Toy Story 5. O’Brien voices Smarty Pants, a character in the film. His introduction linked the performance to the project rather than presenting it solely as a concert appearance.

The audience included prominent figures from film, music and entertainment. Social media footage and photographs circulated after the event, drawing attention to Swift’s performance and her first live rendition of ‘The Fate of Ophelia.’ Individual reactions should be attributed to the original posts or verified footage rather than generalised across the entire audience.

‘The Fate of Ophelia’ is the lead single from Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl. The track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 10 weeks at the top, according to contemporary chart reporting. Those figures relate to ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, not the Toy Story 5 song.

The distinction is important when assessing the two songs’ separate achievements. One is an established chart hit receiving its first live performance, while the other was written for a major animated film and is attracting awards-season attention.

Swift’s appearance provided a high-profile platform for both songs. It also gave the Academy Museum Gala a performance from one of the world’s most prominent recording artists. Her Toy Story 5 contribution now enters the final stages of the awards submission process, but its Oscar prospects remain undecided.

For now, Swift has performed the song before a Hollywood audience and added another notable appearance to its promotional history. The next significant milestone will be the Academy’s awards decisions, rather than the gala itself.