Diane Warren on her 14 Oscar nominations: “My honorary Oscar would love to have a friend”

At this point, it’s rare to see a list of best original songs without Diane Warren’s name on it. She has earned 14 nominations in that Oscar star category, and many other films have made her a contender since the early 1980s. This year, Warren has two leads in play: Flamin’ hot‘s “The Fire Within” and 80 for Bradyis “I’m going to be you.”

Both songs are typical Warren: soaring and serious. But instead of the romantic ballads she’s best known for, like “How I Live” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” they have other concerns. “The Fire Inside,” an empowering pop performance by Becky G, concludes Eva Longoria’s biopic about Richard Montañez (Jesse García), a Frito-Lay janitor who rises through the ranks after creating the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto. And “Gonna Be You,” a collaboration between Dolly Parton, Debbie Harry, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper and Belinda Carlisle, is a joyous ode to friendship worthy of 80 for BradyThe football-obsessed central clique.

THR She spoke with Warren about how she wrote the numbers, what it’s like to have such impressive Oscars stats without ever winning, and the two losses that disappointed her the most.

When you’re asked to write a song for a movie, do you usually get an idea of ​​how the song will be used before you start writing?

I imagine it will be somewhere in the movie or in the end titles. But I don’t see a song with an ending title as something superfluous. For me, an ending title song is very important because it ties everything together emotionally. When I write a song like that, I write the song I want to hear at the end of the movie.

What were the marching orders for these two films in terms of the songs you were going to write?

Eva Longoria was renting space in my building and I knew she was going to direct Flamin’ hot because DeVon Franklin, (with whom) I worked in 2019 Discovery, he told me about this film and how he was trying to get Eva to direct it. (When she) got the job, I was very happy. I kept saying, “So when are you going to make that movie?” I kept bugging her because it seems like an incredible story. It’s an American success story. He was a janitor who created this amazing product on his own. I loved the idea, as someone who comes from nothing, that you create yourself by the fire within. Finally, he made the movie and said I could go see it. Simply I loved it. It’s very uplifting and the first thing I thought of was “The Fire Within.” It was like a double meaning with Flamin’ hot, but the inner fire has to do with passion. It’s the fire inside you that makes things happen when everyone shuts doors in your face. This is probably one of the songs closest to me. I have an inner fire that I brought from Van Nuys, California, not knowing anyone in the music business, certainly not in the movie business. That inner fire is what drives me. It’s what drove Richard Montañez. It’s what drives Eva Longoria.

Especially on soundtracks, you’re best known for ballads. What was it like writing an upbeat reggaeton song?

I write everything for all types of artists and this song had to have that Latin vibe. It couldn’t be a great ballad. For this one, I was like, “I’m going to write a really cool reggaeton song.” Literally the day after watching the movie, I sat down at the keyboard and came up with that chorus. I love writing songs for movies. Becky G was the perfect artist. She’s from Los Angeles and she didn’t know people in the business either. It’s that fire, right?

From 80 for Brady has a stellar group of women at its center, was it immediately obvious to you that your song would also involve a group of A-list artists?

Yes. I go from Becky G to Dolly Parton. It’s a very fun movie. Just the title: 80 for Brady. She wanted to get 80-year-old divas who were still eternally cool and badass, like Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Lily Tomlin and Sally Field. The first person I thought of was Dolly Parton, of course.

When did you two first meet?

I met her at her former manager’s house, probably 20 years ago. But he had never worked with her. And she was working with Belinda Carlisle on her EP, so Belinda was a great decision too. How about Cyndi Lauper? How about Gloria Estefan, for whom I have made many songs? And what about Debbie Harry, whom she had never
I work with? Basically everyone said yes, and it was a fun song to make.

Debbie Harry is the most surprising of the group. She is not known for her serious soundtracks. What was that initial conversation like?

I just called her. She loved the song and she loved the idea. I played it for him on the guitar. However, she was the last person to do the vocals, so there wasn’t much room for her. They were all in different cities. But it’s a fun song about female friendship. It’s about being authentic to the film. It’s like choosing a character. Those artists could have been in the movie. Same with Becky G. She would have been perfect in Flamin’ hot.

You have written many love songs. What is the key to writing a song about friendship?

I mean, friendship is love. I don’t make differences.

You are reputed to have 14 competitive Oscar nominations.

And how many victories?

Right, which makes you one of the most qualified people to answer this question: Is it an honor to simply be nominated?

Yes it is. Are you kidding me? Being nominated, honestly, is winning. Really is. The Grammy nominations have just come out. There are 800 categories of songs, right? The Oscars have one. Five songs! There are hundreds of songs in movies every year, so if you’re chosen from 200 songs or whatever, you’ve already won the lottery. The musical branch of the Academy, they really are the best of the best of the best: the best composers and the best songwriters on the planet. Every time I stay up all night (before the nominations are announced). I’m not fresh enough to go to sleep, as some people say. I don’t think they will anyway. Oh, your agent called you? Do not lie. I’m honest: I stay awake. I have a sleepless sleepover with my friends waiting for those nominations. Every time I listen to my song, I have already won the lottery. I hope that happens again, especially with “The Fire Inside.”

I was going to ask which nomination you would prefer if you could only have one or the other.

I have to say “The Fire Inside,” because I feel like it’s my theme song. And the whole process has been very fun. I love both songs, but I would say if I had to choose.

You received an honorary Oscar last year, but how much are you still looking forward to hearing your name called on Oscar night?

I’m not going to lie: that would be pretty awesome. The honorary Oscar is a great honor. Never before had a composer been honored in the 95 years of the Academy Awards. The fact that they chose me was huge. It was the best night of my life and Cher was the one who gave it to me. I was very nervous up there when I gave my speech. But that being said, my honorary Oscar would love to have a friend. He is very alone.

Looking back at those 14 nominations, which one makes you say, “Yeah, I should have won for that”?

Not that he should have won. Maybe a couple of times I was really disappointed, to be honest. There are two I can think of. One was “Because You Loved Me” and the other is the song I wrote that Gaga sang, “Til It Happens to You.” That was a year when everyone said, “You’re going to win!” And that performance, with her and the sexual assault survivors, was one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life. Then (the Oscar telecast) went commercial, and it was the only time I thought maybe I was actually going to win. But I didn’t, so go ahead. You win when you are nominated. I really believe it. I won the Emmy for that song. They changed that rule, but at that time, if it was theatrical and on television, you could be nominated for an Emmy. So I have to say my Oscar speech.

We’re all rooting for Diane Warren’s inevitable Oscar win, but maybe there’s some bragging rights in having so many nominations. It’s the Susan Lucci thing.

I like it! It would almost scare me to think that if I won maybe I wouldn’t be nominated again. I will continue to accumulate them. I just met this guy Kevin O’Connell. He is a sound mixer. He won for the 21st time. But do you know what it’s like to be nominated? It’s respect from those you respect and there’s nothing better than that.

Yeah 80 for Brady is nominated, do you think you can get all five women on stage to perform together?

That would be a moment, wouldn’t it? Yes, hopefully. That would be unforgettable.

This story first appeared in a separate November issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here for subscribe.