Trying to win Grammys and an Oscar simultaneously can be hard work. Just look at Taylor Swift, who has been making the rounds, especially over the course of the last four weeks, in the hope of securing Grammy nominations for her album, The Life of a Showgirl, and her first Oscar nomination for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which she contributed to the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.
A timeline of her appearances, dating back to when “I Knew It, I Knew You” had its live debut in early June and picking back up after Swift’s Madison Square Garden wedding, could also serve as a blueprint for a rigorous campaign, waged by someone who knows the circuit well.
Here’s a look at how Taylor Swift has mounted her joint Grammys and Oscars campaign.
June 9 — Toy Story 5 Premiere
After the singer’s official website seemingly prematurely announced her involvement with something Toy Story related, Swift revealed “I Knew It, I Knew You,” a song that leaned more country than she has strayed in some years. Five days after the song’s debut, Swift performed it at the Los Angeles premiere of Toy Story 5 (where she also sang with Randy Newman), and her journey toward a nomination began.
June 11 — Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony
Swift’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame would strike a note that would become familiar over the course of the campaign. A theme of this cycle’s messaging about Swift is that she’s a songwriter. Could this have to do with the fact that she’s never won Song of the Year at the Grammys? Possibly.
Aug. 24 — The Icon Sessions at the Grammy Museum
The next big performance from Swift came from an event with the Songwriters & Composers wing of the Recording Academy.
Sept. 5 — Country Radio Interview
With prerecorded segments about “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Swift reached back out to the world of country music radio, helping to propel that song higher in the country charts.
Sept. 14 — 78th Primetime Emmy Awards
An entire Emmys comedy segment — which she appeared in — was dedicated to Swift’s celebrity persona and whether she would attend the awards.
Sept. 25 — The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore
After releasing The Life of a Showgirl, touting the album’s conciseness by saying there was not a forthcoming deluxe edition, Swift released a deluxe edition of The Life of a Showgirl a few weeks shy of Grammys voting. The release came with four new songs (which got an icy reception from critics) and a music video directed by Swift and starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.
Sept. 27 — MTV Video Music Awards
Someone “external” to the producing team of the MTV VMAs came up with the idea of creating the Artist Director Honor, and Swift was named the first recipient.
Oct. 15 — “Patient Zero” Acoustic and Piano Versions
Elongating the rollout of The Encore, the bonus versions of “Patient Zero” debuted on streaming.
Oct. 17 — The Academy Museum Gala
Swift took the stage at the event, unofficially the Academy’s kickoff to awards season and where you’ll find many Oscar hopefuls initiating their campaigns. There, she performed a selection of songs, including “Blank Space,” “The Fate of Ophelia,” and “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Nov. 18 — Country Music Association Awards
Still to come, Swift has signaled that she’s planning to attend next month’s CMA Awards, where she’ll compete for Single of the Year.
