Diane Warren once again left the Academy Awards empty-handed – but not without a smile. The legendary songwriter lost the Oscar for Best Original Song Sunday night, marking her 17th nomination without a competitive win, a record in Oscar history. Warren, 69, took the upset in stride and even found humor in it. “Well, at least I’m consistent! And tonight I set a new record!!” she joked on social media after the ceremony, adding with a Terminator-worthy promise: “You know me – I’ll be back.”
Warren’s latest nod came for “Dear Me,” an anthem from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless that was performed live by Kesha during the Oscars telecast. The award ultimately went to “Golden” from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, leaving Warren applauding yet again for someone else’s song. Still, the resilient hitmaker isn’t deterred. She famously received an honorary Oscar in 2022 for her songwriting achievements, but has made it clear she still yearns for a competitive statuette. “My honorary Oscar can be lonely – he wants a friend,” Warren quipped recently, emphasizing that she’s far from giving up on her goal.
In fact, the prolific “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” writer insists awards aren’t her primary validation. “When people love the songs, that’s validation,” Warren has said. Of course, she admits, “who doesn’t want to win?” – but, she adds, “you can’t live and die by it” when the outcome is out of your control. What she can control, Warren notes, is continuing to write the best songs possible. And after 17 tries, Hollywood’s most persistent nominee isn’t about to quit now – she’s already plotting her Oscar comeback.
