Diane Warren received an honorary Oscar this year — but holds the record in the original song category for more nominations without a single win. Yet the songwriter doesn’t appear to be bitter about it — and actually maintains a sense of humor about the dubious honor. (“I’ve been f—ed twice by James Bond,” she quips.) Now, she’s at it again with her 14th career nom for the track “Applause,” via the film “Tell It Like a Woman.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we sit down with Warren to talk about her stunning career as a songwriter who’s worked with the talents of Cher, Lady Gaga and Aerosmith. She discusses which times she thought she would win and plays the game “Who Beat Diane?” Listen below:
Warren had a pizza party at her house the night before the nominations were announced. “Applause” performer Sofia Carson was among the attendees, as they played games and anxiously awaited Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams to reveal the Academy’s selections on Tuesday morning.
Former AMPAS president David Rubin called Warren in June to tell her she was receiving an honorary Oscar, and she has no qualms about sharing her excitement. After 14 Oscar noms over her career, Warren says there have been two times she thought she was going to win: “Because You Loved Me” from “Up Close & Personal” (1996) and “Til It Happens to You” from ”The Hunting Ground” (2015). She co-wrote that song with Lady Gaga, who’s also nominated this year for “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“It never gets less exciting,” Warren says. “Every time I get nominated, I think of it as a win.”
Warren says she still dreams of winning a competitive Oscar one day, and hates when any of her peers who have won or been nominated belittle the honor. “Fuck you,” she says. “No fucking way. You were up all night. Your agent didn’t call you. You couldn’t sleep, just like me. I hate it when they say they use it for a doorstop or something like that. That’s so disrespectful. It’s from your peers. It’s a huge honor.”
Also on this episode of the Awards Circuit Podcast, “Elvis” D.P. Mandy Walker, discusses her nomination for best cinematography, making her only the third woman ever nominated in that category. Walker discusses capturing the tender and musical moments of Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, which stars Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.
Finally, the Awards Circuit Roundtable reacts to this year’s Oscar nominations and some of the snubs and surprises, including Paul Mescal in best actor, Andrea Riseborough in best actress and one of the most populist best picture lineups in years.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, who also co-hosts with Clayton Davis, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post weekly.
