List of all Diane Warren songs nominated for an Oscar

This year, Diane Warren was nominated for an Oscar for the 14th time in her long career as a writer and composer. She became recognizable not only for her staggering number of nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but also for the fact that she never won the award. Although you may not be familiar with her name, she is the writer of some of the best movie songs of all time from the biggest blockbusters in history. While she hasn’t had her day in the sun yet, there’s no denying that she’s a world-class songwriter. That’s why this awards season, we’ve ranked all of her 13 Oscar-losing songs from worst to best. Do you think we got it right?

13. “I stand with you”, “Breakthrough” (2019)

Written in 2019 for Roxanne Dawsondirectorial debut, break throughthis song has a soothing viola Chrissy Metz. It begins with a soft piano solo, then Metz enters with vocals over the organ and remains at a steady pace until the chorus, where backing vocals hint at some sort of gospel choir. Overall, this song is unimpressive, it has no real intensity or depth. The lyrics are a bit vulgar, and the organ and gospel touches are too catchy for a film that tells the story of a family converting to Christianity to overcome a tragic accident. Elton John definitely deserved to win that year!

12. “Music of the Heart”, Music of the Heart (1999).

The title of this song is the same as the title of the movie which tells the real story of Roberta Guaspari (Meryl Streep), as she founds a music school in Harlem. Streep was nominated for the role and Warren for the song. Unfortunately, both women lost Hilary Swank for Best Actress and Phil Collins for “You’ll Be in My Heart” from the film Tarzan, respectively. The song, performed by NSYNC, has a catchy melody, but the lyrics get too repetitive with no real punchline, and it relies too heavily on that melodramatic ’90s synth that just never gets old.

11. “Io Xi (Seen)”, “Life Ahead” (2020)

Warren was nominated in 2020 for this song which is featured in Life ahead. It has some nice moments as a ballad in Italian, but overall it leaves a lot to be desired.

10. How Do I Live, Con Air (1997)

Shown in Con AirThere isn’t much to write about this song. This is something you will definitely recognize, but do not remember where it came from. Interestingly, it was also nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award in the Worst Original Song category. Didn’t win there either.

9. There You Will Be, Pearl Harbor (2001)

Bye Pearl Harbor received a negative response, “There You Will Be” earned Warren a sixth nomination. Faith Hill does a decent job with his performance, delivering some impressive belts, but the song itself still doesn’t stand out among Warren’s best songs.

8. Somehow, Four Good Days (2021)

Unlike her usual style, this song has a bit of a country feel to it. Reba McIntyre. It’s a beautiful, slow song that starts with an acoustic guitar and slowly builds into a dramatic chorus, but doesn’t add much to the movie.

7. “I will fight”, RBG (2018)

Warren teamed up with Jennifer Hudson put on this powerful ballad for RBG, a documentary about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. It has a solid foundation and feels like a political anthem, as it should be. He did win “Original Song” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, but unfortunately he didn’t stand a chance against the iconic “Shallow” from A star is born.

6. “Grateful”, Beyond the Lights (2014)

Rita Ora did a great job with this song, which you would recognize if it was on the radio. It has a good balance between catchy choruses and pleasant lyricism, but it fell short John Legend”Glory”.

5. “Stand Up for Something” Marshall (2017)

This hymn from Marshall certainly has the originality and rhythm to place it in the top half of our rankings. Andra Day gives a powerful performance that adds to the inspiring nature of the film, but it didn’t have what it takes to top “Remember Me” from Cocoone of the best animated films of the last decade.

4. Until It Happens To You, Hunting Grounds (2015)

Before competing with Lady Gaga in 2019 she worked with her on writing “Til It Happens to You” for hunting grounds. This movie is about the real facts of sexual violence on college campuses and the song does a great job of highlighting the importance of the documentary and Gaga delivers a stellar performance that puts it in the top 5 in our minds.

3. “Because You Loved Me”, “Close and Personal” (1996)

When we get to the three, you will definitely say: “Oh, did she write that?” At least once. In third place is the song “Because you loved me.” Written for Up close and personal, the song certainly had more of an impact on pop culture than the movie. The lyrics are touching and Dion is the powerhouse that made the song an instant hit.

2. “I don’t want to miss anything”, “Armageddon” (1998).

Heartbreaking blockbuster song Armageddon, “I don’t want to miss anything” is a real classic. It serves as a great backdrop for romantic scenes in the midst of tragic events and is definitely one of Aerosmith’s most memorable songs. The lyrics are great and the melody must have stuck in your head at some point.

1. “Now Nothing Can Stop Us”, “Dummy” (1987)

Finally, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” won first place, Warren’s first nomination for Best Original Song from Dummy. There is no denying that this is her best work to date. It’s one of those songs where you suddenly remember all the words when it starts. When you hear this, you can’t help but sing along. Though he ended up losing “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancingit is by far one of the best lost songs in Oscar history.

So, were there songs on this list that you like? Then you should thank Diane Warren! Her career is a testament to the work of writers, and while she may never have won, she certainly made her mark on American culture with her songs. Be sure to check out this year’s ceremony to see if it finally wins its 14th nomination!