Swift and Spain’s queer ballad share a stage at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards — but only one carries the weight of history.
Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ and the Spanish film La Bola Negra’s ‘La Nieve’ are both nominated for the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, a recognition that shows their emotional resonance across different cinematic worlds. The song from Toy Story 5, written by Swift and Jack Antonoff, is up for Best Original Song in an Animated Film.
Meanwhile, ‘La Nieve’, performed by Guitarricadelafuente and penned by Álvaro Lafuente, Raül Refree, and Lucas Duran, has earned a nod in the Independent Film (Foreign Language) category. The ceremony, set for November 18 at Avalon Hollywood, celebrates music across visual media — film, television, video games, and more. This year’s list includes heavyweights like Ludwig Göransson, Daniel Pemberton, and Mina Samy, each with four nominations.
Göransson leads with three nods for his work on The Odyssey, including one for the song “When I’m Home,” co-written with James Blake, Travis Scott, and Christopher Nolan. Pemberton is recognized for scores on Project Hail Mary and The Drama, as well as the song “Let Me Sell You a Dream” from Musk.
Samy received dual nods for the foreign-language series The Death Ward and the short film Stopped. Other notable entries include Diane Warren, Beck, Charli XCX, and Miley Cyrus among the songwriter nominees. Last year’s winners, Golden from K-pop Demon Hunters and the original score for Sinners, both went on to win Oscars, raising the stakes this time around. La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, explores the interconnected lives of three gay men across different eras, using music as a thread through memory and identity.
The film’s nomination marks a significant moment for LGBTQ+ storytelling in international cinema. While no release date has been confirmed, the award attention suggests growing momentum. Swift’s track, which plays at the end of Toy Story 5, captures Jessie’s quiet surrender to time and loss, a fitting coda to a franchise built on nostalgia.
The contrast between the two songs is stark: one a pop anthem wrapped in animation, the other a restrained ballad rooted in lived experience. Yet both speak to the power of letting go. The awards will be handed out on November 18. Whether either wins, the spotlight is already on them.
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