By Tom Whitfield

The Academy Museum Gala raised more than $14 million on Saturday and packed Oscar contenders from nearly every major race into one room with a crowd full of Academy members. For candidates sitting on the bubble, the sixth annual fundraiser worked as an unofficial campaign stop.

Taylor Swift closed the night with a four-song set that included "I Knew It, I Knew You," her original song from Toy Story 5. That track currently ranks third among experts for Best Song in Gold Derby's Oscar odds. The gala honored Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo, and John Carpenter.

Swift spent the night making the rounds, from the red carpet to the dinner tables. She changed from pale blue into navy sequins before taking the stage and laughed with Oscars host Conan O'Brien.

Who had the most to gain?

Several contenders sit close enough to taste a nomination but not safely inside the field. A night shaking hands with Academy members could move the needle.

• Jaafar Jackson (Michael): The film crossed $1 billion worldwide, but Jackson's campaign has not caught up with the box office. Rami Malek and Austin Butler both rode music biopics to Best Actor nominations, so the path exists for a first-time film actor.
• John Turturro (The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), 8th in Best Actor: Turturro has never been nominated, despite Do the Right Thing, Barton Fink, and Quiz Show. He sits just outside the top five, and the overdue narrative is doing much of the work.
• Nickel-slot debut ahead: Ippolito plays a young Sylvester Stallone in Peter Farrelly's film about the making of Rocky, which opens in limited release November 13. Stallone earned Best Actor and Original Screenplay nominations for the original, and Rocky won Best Picture.
• Ruth Madeley (Being Heumann), 7th in Best Actress: Madeley chases her first nomination, guided through the room by director Sian Heder, who won an Oscar for writing CODA. The pair even made a stop with Swift.
• Colman Domingo (Michael), 7th in Supporting Actor: Domingo picked up the Vantage Award on Saturday, a useful spotlight for someone just outside the Supporting Actor top five for playing Joe Jackson. A nomination would be his third, after back-to-back Best Actor bids for Rustin and Sing Sing.
• Guitarricadelafuente (La Bola Negra), 6th in Supporting Actor and 1st in Song: The Spanish singer-songwriter could pull off a rare double, with nominations for acting and songwriting on the same film, the way Lady Gaga did with A Star Is Born. His song "La Nieve" ranks ahead of Swift's, and he watched her perform from the audience.

The pattern is simple: one gala, six campaigns, and a room full of the exact voters these contenders need.

Who was protecting a spot?

For contenders who look like locks, the night was about staying there.

• Inde Navarrette and Curry Barker (Obsession), 3rd in Actress and 4th in Original Screenplay: The Obsession team, including co-star Michael Johnston, turned up together. Navarrette's turn in Barker's low-budget horror hit has made her a top Best Actress contender, no small feat in a genre the Academy rarely rewards. Both would be first-time nominees.
• Andrew Garfield (Artificial): Garfield has climbed fast for Luca Guadagnino's film. The two-time Best Actor nominee for Hacksaw Ridge and tick, tick...BOOM! could land his first nomination in supporting.
• Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (La Bola Negra), 2nd in Director and 1st in Adapted Screenplay: Los Javis won Best Director at Cannes, and only Nolan ranks ahead of them. Their film is Spain's International Feature submission, and Spain has not won that category since The Sea Inside more than 20 years ago. They were seen with Pamela Anderson and Jessica Lange.

What does the gala change in the race?

The mechanics matter more than the music. A single evening put bubble contenders within handshake distance of Academy members, gave Domingo a televised award, and let Swift perform her Best Song candidate directly to voters.

Plenty of other contenders worked the room as well, some near the top of their races, some hoping to get on voters' radar, and others simply there to celebrate.

The gala may be over, but for most of the people in that room, the campaign is just getting started.