Why Taylor Swift’s Chances at the 2021 Oscars Just Went Way Up
Though Taylor Swift occasionally acts in movies, she’s considered, by and large, a musician. Regardless, her name has been included in Oscar conversations more than once throughout her 13-year career. Learn why Swift could finally score an Academy Award — and what that would mean for her EGOT status.
Taylor Swift has won many awards
Swift is familiar with awards season. She earned her very first Grammys in 2010, taking home the coveted Album of the Year for her second studio album, Fearless, along with three other country awards. Over the years, she’s racked up several more, for a total of 10 Grammy Awards, including a second Album of the Year for 1989.
Swift’s music has earned her nods at other notable award shows, including the American Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards. She’s also earned three Golden Globe Award nominations for her songs written for films such as “Safe & Sound,” as heard in The Hunger Games.
‘Miss Americana’ is eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards
Swift has never been nominated at the Academy Awards. Aside from her acting roles in films such as Valentine’s Day and The Giver, she would likely be a contender in the Best Original Song category for songs like the one mentioned above. And a 2020 release could be the one that gets her that nomination.
The documentary about Swift’s life, Miss Americana, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2020. It was then released on Netflix. Because of its brief theatrical run, Miss Americana is eligible for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. However, Swift herself could get a nod in the Best Original Song category for the end credits tune “Only the Young.”
Billie Eilish’s song is no longer eligible
The timing of “Only the Young” couldn’t have been better for Swift’s Oscar chances. Less than two months after Miss Americana premiered, the film industry experienced an upheaval in the form of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many movies have been delayed in its wake.
Among those is the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. In keeping with 007 franchise tradition, a song performed by a famous artist was announced. Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” was released in October 2020, just as the film was pushed back once again, this time to April 2021. This means the song isn’t eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards.
Is Taylor Swift close to an EGOT?
Swift was nominated at the 2020 Golden Globes for Best Original Song for “Beautiful Ghosts” from Cats. Though she didn’t win, many were more surprised that the song didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination. This may be due to how late in the year the film was released.
If Swift secures a win at the 2021 ceremony, she’ll have earned three out of four awards necessary for an EGOT. The artist previously earned an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program for her concert show AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience in 2015. After the Oscar, all she’ll have left is a Tony Award.
