No, Taylor Swift never won an Oscar – explained why Eras Tour wasn't nominated

It's hard to think of a more successful artist than Taylor Swift, which is why it's surprising that the iconic singer didn't receive an Oscar nomination for her blockbuster 2023 documentary, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. The film features Swift's performance at her titular concert in Los Angeles. The Tour of the Ages broke all kinds of box office records, grossing over $261 million at the worldwide box office (through Mojo Box Office) and becoming the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

Swift began her Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17, 2023, and performed 149 shows across five continents. The Eras Tour concluded in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 8, 2024. Grossing over $1 billion in revenue, the Eras Tour became the highest-grossing tour of all time. It also sold 10.1 million tickets, making it the second most attended tour of all time. As many tickets as there were, there were still a wide range of Swifties who were unfortunately unable to attend. But at least they have The Tour of the Agesa film that Swifties love — even if the Academy didn't.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was not eligible for the Oscar for best documentary

The Eras Tour is a “promotional documentary” and therefore not qualified

Documentaries rarely reach number one at the box office, but Swift-mania ran wild in the fall of 2023, with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour selling out exhibitions left and right. With so much buzz, it seemed The Tour of the Ages would be a clear choice for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, but unfortunately, when the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced, Taylor Swift's name wasn't called.

But Swifties, need not fear – the singer was not snubbed. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour it simply wasn't eligible for the Best Documentary award because of the rules of the Academy's documentary branchwhich states, “Works that are essentially promotional or instructional are not eligible, nor are works that are essentially unfiltered records of performances.“Like a promotional concert film, The Tour of the Ages was thus disqualified. Although it could have been nominated for other awards, it is rare for documentaries to receive nominations outside of the Feature Film category.

Why Taylor Swift Didn't Attend the 2024 Oscars (Despite Being Invited)

She was on the Singapore Leg Of Her Eras tour

Although the Academy didn't nominate Taylor Swift's film, they certainly wanted her to attend the ceremony — the “Cruel Summer” singer is invited to just about every red carpet event under the sun, and the 96th Academy Awards were no exception. However, Swift didn't attend the ceremony, which raised some eyebrowsespecially since she attended the Golden Globes and Grammys in the same awards season. But the reason for Swift's absence makes sense for a few key reasons.

First, she wasn't nominated for any awards nor was she a presenter, so there wasn't a pressing reason for her to go. (By contrast, she was nominated for a Golden Globe and multiple Grammys, so it makes sense that she would grace these ceremonies with her presence.) Second, Although Swift wasn't performing on Oscars day, she had just finished a show in Singapore the night before.. Singapore is 18 flights from Los Angeles, where the Oscars are held.

Given the distance, combined with the demands of the Eras Tour schedule, it simply would not have been practical for her to go. Interestingly, Swift is believed to have never attended Hollywood's biggest event. Although there was speculation that she attended the 2023 ceremony, this has not been confirmed, although she was seen on the Vanity Fair after party with then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Swift also attended the annual party in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

It looks like it will only be a matter of time before Swift walks the Oscars red carpet. Although she rarely performs anymore, she is one of the most prolific musicians working today. Her best shot at Oscar glory would be in the Best Original Song category, which, if she won, would put her on par with fellow pop stars Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish.

This would also make Swift three-quarters of the way to becoming an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner, as she already has an Emmy and an astonishing 14 Grammys. It is unknown if she plans to attend the 2025 Oscarsalthough the chances are higher than last year, seeing as Swift has wrapped up her Eras Tour. One thing's for sure: Swifties will be keeping an eye on the red carpet.