Perennial Oscar Nominee Diane Warren Writes Title Song for Mark Wahlberg Film ‘By Any Means’

Diane Warren has announced the release of her newest film song “By Any Means” for the feature film of the same name.

The soulful, midtempo ballad is a collab between David Kushner , whose “Daylight” reached No.

33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, and the legendary The Isley Brothers , who have had 40 Hot 100 hits, including three that made the top 10: “It’s Your Thing,” “That Lady (Part 1)” and “Fight the Power Part 1.” Warren has received 17 Oscar nominations for best original song, more than any other woman.

Earlier this year, she became the first songwriter in Oscar history (male or female) to be nominated in that category nine years in a row.

Related Diane Warren’s 17 Oscar Nominations for Best Original Song: History in the Making Hot 100 First-Timers: David Kushner Shines With ‘Daylight’ The Isley Brothers to Get Ultimate Hollywood ‘Shout’-Out With Walk of Fame Star Warren has yet to win a competitive Oscar, but in 2022 she received an honorary award which was inscribed: “To Diane Warren, for her genius, generosity and passionate commitment to the power of song in film.” By Any Means is directed by Elegance Bratton with a script written by Sascha Penn.

Inspired by a true story and set in the 1960s, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent to Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders.

He is forced to work alongside notorious hitman Greg Scarpa ( Mark Wahlberg ).

Two of Warren’s recent Oscar nominations are for songs from period films that dealt with the civil rights struggle.

She and co-writer Common were nominated in 2018 for “Stand Up for Something” from the film Marshall, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice.

She was nominated in 2025 for “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight , which told the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female battalion in World War II.

In a statement, Warren explained her inspiration in writing the song, “I wanted to write a song that captured the spirit of the film which is about those who go beyond the rules to do what is necessary.

My idea was to take an iconic artist who came from that era and pair them with an artist from this current era.

Having the legendary Isley Brothers come on board was a dream come true.

They are as amazing today as they were when they were performing during the time of these events, they are so authentic to this story.