“I'm the Terminator of the Oscars... I’m coming back. You can’t get rid of me”: Songwriter Diane Warren just DIDN’T win Best Original Song Oscar for a record-equalling 16th time

An amazing statistic from Sunday night’s 2025 Oscars, while perhaps going unnoticed among the high-profile, big-screen brand-building and back-slapping going on elsewhere, surely won’t have failed to pique the attention of composers, arrangers and soundtrack teams across the world.

That’s the fact that songwriting legend Diane Warren – once again – DIDN’T win the Oscar for Best Original Song.

The prize – rather than being scooped up by her remarkable The Journey from The Six Triple Eight (performed by H.E.R.) – instead went to El Ma, performed by Zoe Saldaña from Emilia Pérez. A fact that would be barely worth commenting on, if this WASN’T the 16th time that it has happened.

Yes, Warren has, once again, failed to win the prize that she was seemingly born for.

It’s a figure that is now equalled by Greg P Russel, the similarly unrewarded sound mixer of the Transformers and Spiderman movies (among many others) who DID have 17 nominations without a win, but saw his latest nomination rescinded after it was deemed that he’d got a little too close to those supplying the nominations.

All of which officially makes Warren the (joint) unluckiest person in the movies.

But perhaps more remarkable than her ongoing, record-breaking run of bad luck is the simple fact that some of these songs – burned-on-the-brains all-time classics – DIDN’T take home the award in the years that they surely should have.

Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Official Music Video) [HD] - YouTube

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Yup, we’re specifically talking about Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (from 1987’s Mannequin, performed by Starship) which cruelly was forced to go head to head with (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (from Dirty Dancing, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes). Of all the luck…

Similarly in the right place at the wrong time was Warren’s How Do I Live (from 1997’s Con Air performed by Trisha Yearwood) which got sent into battle against Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. ouch

But the fact that I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (from 1998’s Armageddon, performed by Aerosmith) got beaten out by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s When You Believe (from The Prince of Egypt) is – frankly – not something we can take lying down.

AND let’s not even talk about the fact that Warren’s Rhythm of the Night (by Debarge, from 1985’s The Last Dragon) and her mighty Can’t Fight the Moonlight (by Leanne Rimes from 2000’s Coyote Ugly) DIDN’T even get nominations…

Fortunately, Warren herself remains upbeat about the whole affair, summing up her 16th loss by stating: “I’m as consistent as f___” to Variety.

“I’m the Terminator of the Oscars — I’ll be back,” she said. “That’s in my Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. I’m coming back. You can’t get rid of me.”

And her tailor had even sewn a little good luck message into the collar of her jacket too…

And here, for the record, are all those incredible times that Warren has been denied.

We’re crossing our fingers for next time.

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now from Mannequin (1987), performed by Starship
It lost to (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing

Because You Loved Me from Up Close & Personal (1996), performed by Celine Dion
It lost to You Must Love Me from Evita

How Do I Live from Con Air (1997), performed by Trisha Yearwood
It lost to My Heart Will Go On from Titanic

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing from Armageddon (1998), performed by Aerosmith
It lost to When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt

Music of My Heart from Music of the Heart (1999), performed by Gloria Estefan and *NSYNC
It lost to You’ll Be in My Heart from Tarzan

There You’ll Be from Pearl Harbor (2001), performed by Faith Hill
It lost to If I Didn’t Have You from Monsters, Inc.

Grateful from Beyond the Lights (2014), performed by Rita Ora
It lost to Glory from Selma

Til It Happens to You from The Hunting Ground (2015), performed by Lady Gaga
It lost to Writing’s on the Wall from Spectre

Stand Up for Something from Marshall (2017), performed by Andra Day and Common
It lost to Remember Me from Coco

I’ll Fight from RBG (2018), performed by Jennifer Hudson
It lost to Shallow from A Star Is Born

I’m Standing With You from Breakthrough (2019), performed by Chrissy Metz
It lost to (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman

Io sì (Seen) from The Life Ahead (2020), performed by Laura Pausini
It lost to Fight for You from Judas and the Black Messiah

Somehow You Do from Four Good Days (2021), performed by Reba McEntire
It lost to No Time to Die from No Time to Die

Applause from Tell It Like a Woman (2022), performed by Sofia Carson
It lost to Naatu Naatu from RRR.

The Fire Inside from Flamin’ Hot (2023), performed by Becky G
It lost to What Was I Made For from Barbie

The Journey from The Six Triple Eight (2024), performed by H.E.R.
It lost to El Mal from Emilia Pérez