Don’t worry about Diane Warren, she’s doing just fine.
The superstar songwriter lost in the Oscars best original song category for a 12th time, making her the most-nominated woman in Oscar history to have none on her shelf. But come Monday morning, Warren had already found the silver lining. “OK, so I lost again but U know what was the hugest win??” she posted on Facebook after not picking up the statue for “Io Si (Seen)” from The Life Ahead. “Feeling more love and support than I have ever felt in my life. Thank U everyone in my movie music community who voted for this song, U are the best of the best and whenever U [chose] a song of mine it is a huge huge honor that I don’t take lightly and that I am deeply grateful for. Thank U everyone for all the kind and lovely words of support, it means more than any statue.”
The Academy Award for best original song went to H.E.R., D’Mile and Tiara Thomas for their collaboration on “Fight for You” from Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah. The Grammy winner used her acceptance speech to talk about the power of truth in storytelling. “Musicians, filmmakers I believe we have an opportunity and responsibility, to me, to tell the truth and to write history the way that it was and how it connects us to today and what we see going on in the world today,” she said, adding, “Knowledge is power, music is power and as long as I’m standing I’m always going to fight for us, I’m always going to fight for my people and fight for what’s right and I think that’s what music does and that’s what storytelling does.”
Warren, who looked ready to win in a Valentino suit and sequined turtleneck, received a flood of congratulatory messages on social media following the show, which featured all the nominated songs during a pre-show on ABC. Among them was one from longtime friend and collaborator Carole Bayer Sager, a superstar songwriter in her own right.
“As someone who was nominated 8 times and who won once — “Arthur’s Theme” — I can tell you a win feels better than a loss, but I can also agree it’s the movie. My song with David Foster, sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, like yours, won the Golden Globe, and then lost to the song from The Prince of Egypt’s “When You Believe” I can only say, be consoled by the fact no one knows the song that won and “The Prayer” is still played and performed the world over,” she posed. “This will be the case with your song. Burt Bacharach wrote one of my favorite songs, “Alfie”, and it lost to, “Talk To The Animals” Take comfort in knowing you are a great songwriter and many of your songs have stood the test of time. That is in the end, what every songwriter dreams of.”
Warren also was back at work Monday, helping promote a new release, the Reba McEntire performed “Somehow You Do,” a song from the upcoming film Four Good Days starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. Lucky #13…?
Ok so I lost again but U know what was the hugest win?? Feeling more love and support than I have ever felt in my life….
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
