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Diane Warren is sitting in her Hollywood studio wearing a High Fucking Standards long-sleeved t-shirt.
“I have high fucking standards. I really do,” she says when asked what the meaning behind her top is.
And she does. Especially when it comes to her songwriting, choosing singers — “I’m like a casting director” — and when it comes to her publishing rights.
Warren founded and controls Realsongs, holding the publishing rights and many of the masters. But there are two directors whom she’d consider if they called and asked her to write a song for their movies: “Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan.”
The songwriter just landed her 17th Oscar nomination for “Dear Me,” a song from her 2024 documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless.”
It’s an apt title because she is relentless. All awards season, Warren “campaigns.” She’s at parties, screenings, and receptions, and it pays off. She even hosts her famous New Year’s Eve party where she invites 400 of her friends. This year, the LAPD shut it down and gave her a citation for being a public nuisance, “which I’ve since framed…and I took a selfie with the cops.”
Variety sat down with Warren to talk about “Dear Me,” her Oscar campaigning and how she feels during the ceremony.
Every year, you have an Oscar nomination all-night party. When did this tradition begin?
I think we did it with Gaga, 10 years ago, for “Til It Happens to You.” It wasn’t a thing, we just did it. Now it’s just fun. We get pizza, and I don’t really drink, but I have a couple of glasses of red wine because I’m so nervous. Hours go by because people come over, and the sane ones go home, and some come back. It’s a bunch of my core friends, we wait up and literally count down the fucking seconds. You have to wait for the commercial on top of it. I always say this, “I’ve already won whatever happens.” That’s such a big win to be among five songs. Anybody that gets nominated has already won.
Who gets invited to your Oscar viewing party?
A bunch of my friends. Mainly some of my old friends, some I’ve known since kindergarten, and some are newer friends. The cool thing is it’s a lot of people rooting for me. I’m like the team that has been losing for decades. It would be fun to really win; that would be the icing on the vegan cake.
Well, let’s talk about “Dear Me.” This comes from the documentary about your life. How special was it to hear your name?
Anytime I write a song for a movie, I give my all, and I try to write the best song I can. This is special. It was challenging, first of all, for me to sit down and then to film me. Of course, I was going to write a song for this movie, and when I write, I’m just trying to tie it all emotionally together or basically write the song I want to hear. For this, I went back to my mom and dad’s house, and I’m sitting in the bathroom, and working on the song there. I was writing a song to that young girl in her teenie room, and felt alone and bullied. I didn’t feel understood or seen. I guess I was a little on the spectrum, or whatever. But kids tend to be really cruel. When I was 11, I picked up a guitar and started writing. So, this was a really personal song to that young girl. The weirdly beautiful thing is that this song cuts across all age groups and all people. These kids came to sing in my studio, and they were crying and they said, “No, this song makes me feel less alone.”
You said you didn’t feel seen. You’re Diane Warren. When did you finally feel seen?
It’s weird because I still feel like that kid in a lot of ways. In my mind, I’m a million miles from that, but I still am that. I work really hard, and I’m always writing. and I’m never satisfied. I always feel like I haven’t made it yet. “When have I felt seen?” Well, I feel seen when my songs are heard.
What made Kesha the right person to sing the song, given that it’s a letter to your younger self?
I only wanted Kesha. I always say that I’m a casting director. A song and an artist, that’s another character, that’s part of that movie. I’ve known Kesha for years, and I know she’s had a hard life. I always knew when I was writing the song that it had to be Kesha because she could sing the absolute shit out of it, and it would be authentic. I felt like this song would resonate with her, and it did.
Going back to the campaigning, I see you at every party. I saw you back in October at the Middleburg Film Festival. When does the campaigning begin for you?
I’m such a loner, I sit in a room by myself, and I’m writing. What I love about awards season is that you get to go out and you see people that you haven’t seen. Something like Middleburg is when the season’s starting. And I love it. It’s just a lot of fun. I love to go to screenings and see people.
How many parties do you go to in a night?
One night I went to four events. I’m out there representing my work. Whatever I can do to do that, I do in as fun a way as possible.
You’re doing this from October through the shortlist through nominations?
It’s nothing that other people don’t do, right? Everybody’s going to the festivals. Some have more fun, and some don’t. I like to do it.
What’s shortlist day like for you, because we don’t know that until around 11 a.m in the morning?
I’m nervous for that too. There are always surprises of things that don’t get on or that do get on. So, I’m like, “Okay, got to get to that 15.” I have my lucky clothes I wear for all these things.
So you have RealSongs Publishing. Is there a director or directors who, if they approached you, you would allow the rights to a song?
I’d love to do a song for Paul Thomas Anderson or Chris Nolan. I just love writing songs for movies. I’m open. So call me.
The industry can be tough, and people say, “Oh, I don’t know that documentary” or “I’ve never heard that song?”
I didn’t realize how many people have seen this documentary. It got nominated for a Grammy and it wasn’t because I worked it. I didn’t do anything, I didn’t even post about my documentary for the Grammys. I think the fact that it was early on the site, because it was on the site when there was only 10 movies on the portal. I think that helped. And over the holidays, everybody started calling me and telling me how much they love the documentary. I think artists can also relate, but I’m surprised that it’s been seen as much as it has.
Take me inside the Oscar ceremony. When we get to that category of original song, how are you feeling?
It’s fucking nerve-wracking no matter what. There was one time I thought I was going to win, and that was with my song, “Til It Happens to You.” I don’t expect to win, so I just go there, but you never know. And wouldn’t it be weird if it were this song? It would be the craziest, most unlikely thing. So wouldn’t that be crazy in the coolest way?
Are you going to write a speech?
Even in the least likely situations, I write something down, I think I probably won’t be conscious, if it actually happened, I would probably faint on the way up there. It would just be such a beautiful full circle thing. The little train that could, just up against these giant corporations. So yes, I will write a speech. And who knows?
This interview has been edited and condensed.
English (US) ·