The singer-actress Ariana Grande took the stage to present the Oscar for Best Original Song and announced Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For as the winner. However, her actions infuriated Diane Warren, a 15-time Oscar nominee for Best Original Song. Similar to Al Pacino, who skipped listing the Best Picture nominees, the Wicked star also did not list the nominees for Best Original Song and directly announced the winner.
As per reports, Warren was not very pleased with the action and is reported to have thrown a “mini-tantrum” at the 96th Academy Awards.
Diane Warren Displeased With Ariana Grande Skipping the Nominees
Diane Warren, a 15-time Oscar nominee, was furious after presenter Ariana Grande did not list the nominees for Best Original Song before declaring What Was I Made For as the winner. Warren was also one of the nominees under the category for the song The Fire Inside from the 2023 biographical comedy-drama Flamin’ Hot.
According to Puck, the songwriter was very upset upon being overlooked at the event and took immediate action as she started seeking out members of the board of governors to express her discontent. The report states,
“Warren was so pissed at not being mentioned there, she leapt from her seat and started running around the orchestra level looking for board of governors members to complain to.”
While neither Grande nor the Academy has stated anything about not listing the Best Original Song nominees, the reason could be the same as it was for Al Pacino not stating the Best Picture nominees. The actor has shared that he was told not to name the nominees.
Grande’s Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo also stated while presenting the award, “All night you’ve seen performances of this year’s nominated songs.” Oscar producer, Molly McNearny, has earlier explained the reason behind not listing the Best Picture nominees, saying that they did not want to further stretch the ceremony by stating the nominees again.
Diane Warren on the Prospect of Winning an Oscar
Diane Warren has earned 15 nominations and has also won several other accolades including an Emmy, two Golden Globes, and a Grammy. Although she was glorified with an honorary Academy Award in 2022, she has yet to win an Oscar.
When asked about her aspirations to win the prestigious award in a recent interview with Variety, Warren emphasized that the continuous recognition through nominations holds significant value for her. She shared during the interview,
“It would be great to win the competitive Oscar, which has eluded me. But, if I had to choose between winning a competitive Oscar one time and never getting nominated again, I’d choose to get nominated again and never winning. I love to keep getting nominated. It’s awesome.”
Filmmaker Bess Kargman suggested that Warren has a sentimental attachment to the award ceremony which traces back to her childhood when she watched the Oscars annually with her parents. Warren confirms that her connection to the Oscars is indeed conscious, highlighting the importance of the award in her career aspirations and personal journey.
