Diane Warren’s 15 Oscar Nominations for Best Original Song: History in the Making
Written by Paul Grein on January 25, 2024
Diane Warren is getting up there on the all-time list of top Oscar nominees for best original song. Her nod this year for “The Fire Inside,” sung by Becky G in Flamin’ Hot, is her 15th — a tally equaled by only five other songwriters in the 90-year history of the category.
Moreover, this is the seventh year in a row she has been nominated, the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category since Sammy Cahn was nominated eight years running from 1954-61.
“I’m so excited about being nominated for ‘The Fire Inside’!!,” Warren said in a statement after her nomination was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 23). “This song is all about passion. It’s the theme song not only for the movie Flamin’ Hot but a theme song for dreamers everywhere with that Fire Inside to make their dreams come true.”
If you’re looking for a common denominator among Warren’s best original song nominees – besides quality – good luck. Three of them reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but several others didn’t even crack the chart. Three are from blockbuster action films, but several others are from smaller indie films that barely made a dent at the box office.
Five of the 15 songs, including the current one, are from films directed by women. That’s far higher than the industry-wide percentage of films directed by women. The only director Warren has worked with on two nominated songs is Michael Bay. She wrote songs for his blockbusters Armageddon (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) and Pearl Harbor (“There You’ll Be”).
Warren, 67, has the work ethic of a songwriter half her age, one still trying to make her mark. That could be her secret.
Let’s take a closer look at Warren’s best original song nominees. The films’ worldwide box-office receipts are taken from boxofficemojo.com (rounded off to the nearest million).
