Will this year be Diane Warren‘s sweet 16 for Oscar nominations?
The legendary songwriter and 15-time Oscar nominee is aiming for her 16th Academy Awards invitation this year with the track “The Journey” from Tyler Perry’s upcoming war drama, “The Six Triple Eight,” starring Kerry Washington.
Netflix is set to release “The Six Triple Eight,” which tells the inspiring true story of the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit stationed overseas during World War II. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion contributed to the war by sorting through a three-year backlog of undelivered mail and delivering it to American soldiers far from home. In the face of discrimination and a vast, unfamiliar country divided by global conflict, these 855 women brought hope to the front lines.
Read: Variety Awards Circuit’s Oscar predictions in every category.
Written by Warren and performed by global singing sensation H.E.R., “The Journey” is a tribute to those who face seemingly insurmountable barriers yet persevere and ultimately triumph — much like the extraordinary women of the 6888th Battalion, whose compelling story inspired the song.
Although “The Journey” was released as a single last year, it remains eligible for submission in the best original song category as it was written for Perry’s drama. There is precedent for songs with similar trajectories still receiving recognition from the Music Branch, such as “In the Deep” from the best picture winner “Crash” (2005) and the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly” from “Once” (2007), the latter of which had versions released on albums before the film.
Warren is among the few who have reached 15 career Oscar nomination milestones, and still has yet to win. Her notable nods include “Because You Loved Me” from “Up Close & Personal” (1996), “How Do I Live” from “Con Air” (1997), “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from “Armageddon” (1998), “There You’ll Be” from “Pearl Harbor” (2001), and most recently, “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” (2023). Notably, she’s been nominated for the past seven consecutive years. In addition to her multiple invitations to the Dolby Theatre, Warren has also won an Emmy, a Grammy and two Golden Globes. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award from the organization this past June.
In 2023, Warren became the first songwriter to receive an Honorary Oscar, alongside directors and artists Peter Weir, Euzhan Palcy and Michael J. Fox. Bess Kargman’s “Diane Warren: Relentless” documentary about Warren’s life premiered at SXSW in March.
H.E.R., who recently performed at the Olympics Closing Ceremony in Paris, won her first Oscar for co-writing “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021). She has also won five Grammys throughout her remarkable career, including best traditional R&B performance for “Fight for You” and song of the year for “I Can’t Breathe.”
“The Six Triple Eight” is set to be released later this year.
