Will Taylor Swift Be Eligible for an Oscar for ‘Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions’?
Musician Taylor Swift has kept her fans waiting for months since the release of her 2020 album Folklore. Swifties theorized that a new music video was on its way. But they were gifted something even bigger: A movie. Could this be Swift’s ticket to an Academy Award?
Taylor Swift announced ‘Folklore: the Long Pond Studio Sessions’
After debuting her surprise album in July 2020, Swift all but disappeared. Aside from releasing curated collections from the record and making an appearance at the Academy of Country Music Awards, the singer kept relatively quiet. That is, until her tweet just before Thanksgiving.
“Well it’s 11/24 and 24-11=13 so I’ve got an announcement,” Swift tweeted on November 24, 2020, referencing her affinity for the number 13. “You haven’t seen this film before,” she continued, a nod to her song “Exile.” “folklore: the long pond studio sessions will be out tonight at midnight PST on @DisneyPlus,” the artist finished.
The artist not only performs in but directed the concert film
“It’s an album that allows you to feel your feelings, and it’s a product of isolation,” Swift said in the trailer. “This could have been a time where I absolutely lost my mind. And instead, I think this album was a real flotation device for both of us,” she told collaborator Aaron Dessner.
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions may be Swift’s first movie as a director, but she’s held the role before. She co-directed the first three music videos of the Lover era before stepping out on her own for “The Man.” Swift also directed the only video of the Folklore era (thus far) for “Cardigan.”
Has Swift ever been nominated for an Academy Award?
Swift has earned many Grammy Awards in the past. However, she’s never been nominated at the Academy Awards. Besides her select film roles, Swift has been eligible in the Best Original Song category on several occasions. This includes “Beautiful Ghosts” from Cats, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2020.
If Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions won an Oscar, it wouldn’t be the first of her projects to earn that sort of accolade. Her immersive music special, AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, framed around her “Blank Space” music video, won the Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program in 2015.
‘Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions’ falls within the eligibility window
Technically, the concert film will be released in time for Oscar consideration. However, there are many other qualifiers when it comes to films eligible for the Academy Awards. Due to the pandemic, the Academy adjusted its rules, but entries still must be screened for Academy members. It’s unclear whether Swift has done this.
Additionally, concert films are not typically considered when it comes to documentaries. And if Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions was deemed a full-length documentary, it might compete against another Swift-led entry. Miss Americana, which debuted in January 2020 at Sundance Film Festival, may be submitted in this category.
