Diane Warren’s Journey: Nominee Faces 16th Oscar with Uncertainty and Hope

LOS ANGELES, CA — Diane Warren, a legendary songwriter, is gearing up for the 2025 Academy Awards as she hopes to secure her first Oscar win after 16 nominations. Warren is nominated for Best Original Song for “The Journey” from the film “The Six Triple Eight,” a highly anticipated moment in her illustrious career.

Warren expressed her excitement on “Good Morning America” after her nomination announcement. “I think to me [it is] one of my best songs,” she shared, emphasizing her enthusiasm for the film and the award ceremony. “I love the movie and you never know what’s going to happen. I’m just so excited.”

The 66-year-old songwriter’s journey in music began as a teenager, inspired by her father. She wrote her first major hit, “Rhythm of the Night,” in 1985 for DeBarge, which gained widespread popularity and launched her career. Over the years, Warren has penned hits for iconic artists such as Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston.

Warren’s first Oscar nomination came in 1987 for her song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from the film “Mannequin.” Reflecting on that experience, she recounted to The Los Angeles Times, “It was also my first No. 1 song on the Billboard charts. We were supposed to write a wedding song for a man…and a mannequin? Somehow, we achieved that.”

Throughout her career, Warren has received numerous nominations but has yet to win in a competitive category. Her most notable near-wins include the 1997 nomination for Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me,” which she wrote as a tribute to her father, and nominations for powerful emotional songs such as “Til It Happens To You” by Lady Gaga.

This year, some Oscar pundits predict a tough competition for Warren with contenders like “El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez,” which won the Golden Globe. Despite the competition, Warren remains focused and grateful for the acknowledgment. “It’s a big deal to be nominated. Only five songs are picked, think of all the songs released all year,” she said during an interview with Academy Greenroom in 2023.

The 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and Hulu on March 2, at 7 p.m. ET. Warren is also eager to continue making music regardless of the outcome, stating, “If I win, I’m going to be keeping the hustle alive.”