Taylor Swift to close Academy Museum gala ahead of Oscars voting season

Taylor Swift will close the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' sixth annual gala with a performance on 17 October.

The booking, reported by Rolling Stone, puts one of pop's biggest live draws on a film-industry stage. The gala is the museum's yearly fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Swift will end a night honouring actors Charlize Theron and Colman Domingo, alongside filmmaker and composer John Carpenter. Carpenter is known for directing films including Halloween and The Thing, and for writing their scores.

The museum is overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organisation behind the Oscars. That link matters here.

Swift has a song in contention for the next Academy Awards. "I Knew It, I Knew You", written for Toy Story 5, is eligible for Best Original Song, the Oscars category for music written specifically for a film.

She has yet to receive an Oscar nomination. That is still the case going into this awards cycle.

The timing is tight. The gala lands just before Oscars voting season begins.

The first round of preliminary voting will take place in early December. Shortlists will be announced on 15 December, narrowing the field in several categories including music.

Final Oscar nominations will then be revealed on 21 January 2027.

What makes this stand out is the room. Museum galas draw actors, directors, producers and Academy voters, as well as musicians. A closing performance puts Swift's film song in front of that crowd weeks before ballots open.

For fans, this means a rare live appearance in a film setting rather than a stadium. Details of what she will play beyond the closing slot have not been confirmed.