Movie buffs and music lovers gather round! It's time to talk about the Oscars and one name that always seems to be in the mix but never quite takes home the gold: Diane Warren . Yes folks the songwriting queen has done it again. Nominated for Best Original Song and... well you know the rest.
Oscar Loss Number 16: Diane Warren's Streak Continues But Her Spirit Remains Unbroken (and Hilarious)
This year Diane Warren was nominated for "Journey" a powerful song from the movie "The Six Triple Eight". It was up for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards. Did she finally break her long-running losing streak? Nope. The Oscar went to "El Mal" from "Emilia Pérez". That's right folks loss number 16 for Diane Warren.
But here's the thing Diane Warren is not letting it get her down. In fact she is handling it with the best sense of humor ever. When asked about her 16th loss on the Vanity Fair red carpet she cracked "I’m consistent as f---." You gotta love that attitude. She even compared herself to the Terminator saying in her best Arnold voice "I’m the Terminator of the Oscars — I’ll be back. You can’t get rid of me." This woman is a legend.
This was actually Warren's eighth consecutive nomination. She holds the record for most Oscar nominations for a female songwriter. Sixteen nominations in total and still going strong. Talk about dedication.
Not Bitter Just Better: Diane Warren Vows to Keep Creating Hits Despite Oscar Snubs
Diane Warren is not about to let an Oscar loss stop her. She made it clear she was heading straight back to work the very next day. "This isn’t going to slow me down…I thought I had a chance this time. It didn’t go that way but I’m still here" she said. That's the spirit. She even wore a jacket to the Oscars with "Make It Fucking Happen" stitched inside the collar. Talk about a motto.
She did admit she was a little disappointed that the Oscar producers decided not to have performances of the Best Original Song nominees during the ceremony. "It would have been nice to hear the songs" she noted. H.E.R. who performs "Journey" also said she was "bummed" about not getting to perform. But both ladies took it in stride focusing on the music itself rather than the awards show.
From Power Ballads to Movie Magic: A Look at Diane Warren's Incredible Songwriting Career
Let's be real even without an Oscar win Diane Warren is a songwriting icon. She has written some of the biggest hits of all time. We are talking songs you know every word to songs that have been stuck in your head for decades. She has penned nine US number 1 songs and 33 top 10 hits. Think about these:
- "If I Could Turn Back Time" - Cher
- "Because You Loved Me" - Celine Dion
- "How Do I Live" - LeAnn Rimes
- "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" - Aerosmith
- "Rhythm of the Night" - DeBarge
- "Un-Break My Heart" - Toni Braxton
- "Can't Fight the Moonlight" - LeAnn Rimes
That's just a small taste of her incredible catalog. She has written songs for countless movies too including "Burlesque" "Pearl Harbor" and "The Hunting Ground". She has already won a Grammy an Emmy and two Golden Globes. And yes she has an honorary Oscar which Cher herself presented to her in 2022. So while the competitive Oscar win might be missing her legacy is definitely secure.
Will Diane Warren Ever Win an Oscar? The Real Prize is the Music (and Maybe the Jokes Along the Way)
Will Diane Warren ever finally win a competitive Oscar? Who knows! But honestly at this point it almost feels like part of her brand. "Diane Warren Oscar Loser" is practically a headline that writes itself every year. But she has embraced it with humor and grace. And in the end maybe that's more impressive than any award.
The real prize is the music itself. Diane Warren's songs have touched millions of people. They are part of the soundtrack of our lives. And she is not slowing down anytime soon. So keep an eye out for Diane Warren at the Oscars next year and the year after and the year after that. She will be back. And she will probably have another great joke ready.