Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 Song vs. Miranda’s Moana Oscar Showdown
Two of the biggest names in music could collide at the 2027 Academy Awards. Taylor Swift and Lin-Manuel Miranda each wrote a Disney song this summer. Moreover, both tracks are already early Oscar front-runners. Indeed, awards season just gained a marquee rivalry.
The Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” now headlines the Best Original Song conversation. Miranda’s “Along the Way” from live-action Moana trails close behind. Both arrived weeks apart in summer 2026. Consequently, the two Disney tracks set up a real showdown at the March 2027 Oscars.
How Did the Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 Song Spark an Oscar Race?
The Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 song became an instant contender the moment it dropped. Released on June 5, 2026, the ballad topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two straight weeks. Therefore, insiders floated Oscar talk almost immediately. Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton directed the film. Its story pits classic toys against a shiny new tablet named Lilypad. Greta Lee voices that gadget. Meanwhile, the movie opened on June 19 to a franchise-best debut. It earned more than $150 million domestically that weekend.
Moana then reached theaters on July 10, handing Miranda a rival entry. That timing turned a solo story into a two-artist race. In fact, both songs now anchor the same crowded category. Both studios sense a rare marketing gift. After all, a pop titan and a Broadway legend seldom compete directly.
Key Takeaways:
- Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2026.
- Miranda wrote “Along the Way” for live-action Moana, which opened in theaters on July 10, 2026.
- Both tracks are early Best Original Song contenders for the Academy Awards ceremony in March 2027.
Inside “I Knew It I Knew You”
Swift co-wrote her ballad with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. The song draws directly from Jessie, the cowgirl voiced by Joan Cusack. Moreover, it marks a pointed return to Swift’s country roots. The ballad leans acoustic and tender throughout. Its lyrics mirror Jessie’s bittersweet arc onscreen. The track also ended a quiet stretch for the singer. Notably, it was her first new music since last October’s album.
She wrote it after seeing an early cut of the film. Then she kept the entire project a closely guarded secret. Indeed, the filmmakers reportedly forbade her from telling even close family. Producers guarded the collaboration like a state secret. Even so, cryptic billboards teased fans for weeks beforehand.
This Taylor Swift Disney song broke records within hours. It became the most-streamed country track in a single day by a woman on Spotify. The song also topped Apple Music’s soundtrack chart for 2026.
A Record-Breaking Debut
The full Toy Story 5 soundtrack now carries serious awards weight. Swift performed the Toy Story 5 credits song live at the June premiere. Then she joined Randy Newman for a duet of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
Deadline reported the single as Apple Music’s biggest soundtrack debut by first-day plays. The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, called the premiere the unofficial start of the Oscar race. Clearly, the momentum arrived fast. The song also posted the biggest first-day Amazon Music debut of 2026. A companion music video ran exclusively on Spotify and Apple. Fans rushed to both platforms to watch Jessie’s story unfold.
Miranda’s Moana Answer
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s history with Moana runs deep, and that legacy fuels his new bid. He wrote the original 2016 film’s songs. He also earned an Oscar nomination for “How Far I’ll Go.” However, he skipped the 2024 animated sequel entirely.
For the remake, Miranda’s Along the Way Moana ballad has become the film’s saving grace. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new song won praise even as critics savaged the movie. Indeed, the remake opened at just 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The full Moana soundtrack 2026 leans heavily on that single standout track. Consequently, its Oscar hopes rest largely on the music. Miranda, for his part, shrugged off the rivalry. He praised Swift and her craft at the premiere. Director Thomas Kail led the live-action remake. It premiered in Los Angeles on July 7. Yet reviews ranked among the worst for any Disney remake. Its opening box office tracked below several past flops. Even so, the music kept drawing warm notices. Miranda knew the melody worked for a simple reason. His two young sons began singing it around the house. That, he joked, was the real test.
Who Sings the Moana Song?
The new Moana track features three familiar voices. The Catherine Laga’aia song showcases the newcomer who plays Moana in the remake. Meanwhile, the Dwayne Johnson Moana song role returns him to Maui.
The Auli’i Cravalho Moana legacy also lives on here. Cravalho voiced the original heroine back in 2016. Now she serves as an executive producer while lending her voice again. Together, the trio grounds the song in the franchise’s history. Johnson reprises the demigod he first played in 2016. Laga’aia, a relative newcomer, carries the lead vocal. Their chemistry anchors the film’s biggest number.
The Best Original Song Race Heats Up
Best Original Song Oscars rarely feature two pop-culture giants at once. Swift sits as the current front-runner, yet the field stays crowded. For example, Lady Gaga and a Travis Scott track are also circling the race. Songs from smaller films also chase the shortlist. A crowded field can split votes in surprising ways. Therefore, no single entry feels safe this early.
A Taylor Swift Oscar nomination would be historic on its own. Remarkably, she owns 14 Grammys but has never earned an Oscar nod. A single Disney Oscar song could finally break that streak.
A Wide-Open Field
The wider 2026 Oscar race remains unsettled for months. After all, plenty of contenders still await release. Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” both carry musical entries. Therefore, neither front-runner can relax yet. Late-year releases often crash the category at the last minute. Voters also reward songs tied tightly to a film’s emotion. So the coming months could reshuffle everything.
One quirk could hurt Swift, though. Her ballad plays over the closing credits, not inside a scene. Academy voters often favor songs woven directly into the story. Still, a Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 song nomination looks likely regardless.
What This Means for Awards Season
This Disney music news signals a blockbuster awards cycle ahead. Both studios will campaign hard through winter. Therefore, expect billboards, screenings, and endless online debate. Campaign teams will flood voters with events for months. Trade ads will blanket the industry press.
Every major movie soundtrack of 2026 now competes for the same shortlist. The Toy Story franchise alone owns a remarkable song record. Randy Newman earned four nominations and one win across the series. So history clearly favors a strong Pixar showing. Swift, by contrast, has never won in this arena. Four Golden Globe song nominations never converted into Oscar attention. Her Crawdads ballad even made the shortlist once. Now she carries her strongest case yet.
Meanwhile, the entertainment awards season chatter only grows louder each week. The Runway Magazine entertainment desk will track every twist and turn.
What Happens Next
Academy voters submit their shortlist late in 2026. Nominations follow in January 2027, and the ceremony lands that March. Meanwhile, watch for fresh contenders from fall festivals and holiday releases. A Swift win would complete a rare Grammy-to-Oscar leap, while a Miranda victory would seal his EGOT. For more prestige-season coverage, see our Oscar-buzz contenders and our summer movie guide. For all the awards-season, Disney, and celebrity coverage that matters, trust Runway Magazine.
