Taylor Swift’s Oscar Dreams Are Dashed (At Least In One Category)
Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well: The Short Film' didn't end up on the list of potential nominees in the Oscars' Short Film category.
Just a short time ago, the governing body behind the Academy Awards (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or simply AMPAS) released its annual shortlists for a number of categories at the upcoming Oscars.
One of the most visible submissions in a field that often doesn’t generate much publicity has officially been ruled out of contention, ending a campaign that had been rather exciting to watch.
Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film didn’t end up on the list of potential nominees in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
Fifteen projects that aren’t quite as long as features have been announced as possible future winners, but sadly Swift’s visual is not one of them. Many saw her chances of earning one of the five spaces as a long shot, but Swift was clearly not deterred in shooting for the stars, and no one can say she didn’t give it her all.
The singer has been busy throughout 2022 with many projects, including a campaign to earn a Best Live Action Short Film Oscar nomination. She premiered All Too Well: The Short Film in a proper movie theater in late 2021, which helped kick off her run and unofficially announced to the world her ambitious aim.
Since then, the singer-songwriter has spent the year showcasing the project and appearing at a number of high-profile events such as the Tribeca Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss her work as a producer and director and also to meet with Oscar voters.
In the past few months, it seemed more and more likely that All Too Well: The Short Film would be in the running for this Oscar, as it not only racked up praise, but also nominations and wins at a number of other major entertainment award shows.
The visual was named Video of the Year at the 2022 MTV VMAs, and it is currently nominated for the Best Music Video Grammy. The tune that soundtracks the clip is also up for Song of the Year at the Grammys, though of course that is not due to the video.
While Swift is officially no longer a contender for the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar, she has not been shut out entirely from the upcoming ceremony. The superstar is still hoping to score a Best Original Song Academy Award nomination, and in a positive sign, AMPAS did include her work in its shortlist for that musical field. Swift wrote and co-produced “Carolina” for the film Where The Crawdads Are, and it may very well make her an Oscar nominee for the first time.
“Carolina” was just recently nominated for the Best Song Written for Visual Media Grammy, as well as the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Her inclusion in those categories are something of a sign that the powers that be in Hollywood are taking the tune seriously, but of course, nothing is certain until the names are called.
Swift has been nominated for the Best Original Song Golden Globe four times – including this latest nod – without ever taking home a statue or without any of those cuts also earning love at the Oscars, which is unusual.
All Too Well: The Short Film served as the official music video for the single of the same name, though Swift usually avoided using the phrase “music video” when she talked about the work openly.
The song, a reworking of the original “All Too Well” which was featured on her 2012 album Red, was released as the lead single from her re-recorded Taylor’s Version of Red.
The tune debuted atop the Hot 100 in late 2021, becoming her eighth champion on the chart. The smash also holds the record for the longest No. 1 hit in history, as it comes in at an impressive and unheard-of 10:13 seconds.
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