At the 98th Academy Awards, history was made—though perhaps not the kind one hopes for. As the ceremony unfolded, the Best Original Song category saw “Golden”—the massive hit from Kpop Demon Hunters—take home the Oscar. For legendary songwriter Diane Warren, the evening marked a bittersweet milestone: her 17th competitive nomination without a single victory, officially making her the most-nominated individual in Academy Awards history to never secure a win.
A Career Defined by Prolific Brilliance
Warren’s latest nod came for “Dear Me,” the poignant ballad performed by Kesha for the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless. Despite the song’s emotional resonance and critical acclaim, the Academy opted for the chart-dominating force of Kpop Demon Hunters, a project that had already swept the Grammys, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards. The loss highlights the brutal nature of the Best Original Song race, which often favors the cultural juggernaut of the year over legacy songwriting.
The Statistical Shift: Surpassing Greg P. Russell
With this 17th nomination, Warren has officially eclipsed sound mixer Greg P. Russell. While Russell also held 17 nominations, his record was complicated by a 2017 incident where his nomination for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi was rescinded due to a violation of campaigning rules. Consequently, Warren now stands alone at the top of this dubious leaderboard.
The Loneliness of the Honorary Oscar
The Academy recognized Warren’s immense contributions to film music with an Honorary Award in 2022. However, for a songwriter who has penned nine #1 hits and defined the sound of the ’80s and ’90s, the “honorary” designation feels incomplete. As she recently shared with The New York Times, her competitive drive remains undiminished. “It’s amazing to have the honorary Oscar—that’s harder to get than the competitive. I don’t take that for granted. But, yeah, I still want to win. My honorary Oscar gets really lonely.”
What’s Next for the Songwriting Icon?
Despite the setback, Warren’s streak of nine consecutive years with an Oscar nomination remains an unprecedented feat in the industry. Her resilience is matched by her humor; she frequently addresses her “dubious achievement” on social media, maintaining a lighthearted perspective even while continuing to push for a competitive win in 2027. Her body of work, spanning from Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” to her modern-day ballads, ensures her legacy is cemented, regardless of the golden statue count.
