Lionel Richie has won one Oscar: the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Say You, Say Me” from the film White Nights at the 1986 Oscars.

Quick Scoop: What Oscar Did Lionel Richie Win?

Lionel Richie is not just a pop and R&B legend – he’s also an Academy Award–winning songwriter. The key moment came in the mid‑1980s, when his ballad “Say You, Say Me” took home one of Hollywood’s highest honors.

The Exact Oscar He Won

  • Category: Best Original Song (Academy Award / Oscar).
  • Winning song: “Say You, Say Me”.
  • Film: White Nights (1985), a dance‑drama starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.
  • Ceremony: 58th Academy Awards, held in 1986.

In 1986, presenters announced Lionel Richie as the winner for “Say You, Say Me,” and he went on stage to accept the Oscar, cementing his crossover from chart star to film‑award history.

Other Oscar Connections (But Not Wins)

Lionel Richie has been associated with the Oscars more than once, though he has only one win.

He also had these nominations:

  • 1982: Nominated for Best Original Song for “Endless Love” from Endless Love.
  • 1986: Nominated (shared) for Best Original Song for “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)” from The Color Purple , alongside Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton.

These nominations show how deeply his songwriting was tied to big Hollywood dramas in the 80s, even if they didn’t all result in a statue.

Mini Timeline: Lionel Richie and the Oscars

  1. Early 1980s – Builds a reputation as a powerhouse ballad writer with songs like “Endless Love.”
  1. 1982 – First Oscar nomination for “Endless Love.”
  1. 1985 – Writes “Say You, Say Me” for White Nights.
  1. 1986 – Wins the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Say You, Say Me.”
  1. 1986 – Receives another nomination for “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)” from The Color Purple.
  1. 2020s – Still appears at the Oscars as a presenter or guest, often referencing that landmark win decades later.

Quick HTML Table of His Oscar History

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Year (Ceremony)</th>
      <th>Category</th>
      <th>Song</th>
      <th>Film</th>
      <th>Result</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1982</td>
      <td>Best Original Song</td>
      <td>"Endless Love"</td>
      <td><i>Endless Love</i></td>
      <td>Nominated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1986</td>
      <td>Best Original Song</td>
      <td>"Say You, Say Me"</td>
      <td><i>White Nights</i></td>
      <td>Won (Oscar)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1986</td>
      <td>Best Original Song</td>
      <td>"Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)"</td>
      <td><i>The Color Purple</i></td>
      <td>Nominated</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Data based on public award listings and historical Oscar records.

Why This Still Comes Up in Forums and “Latest News”

Even decades later, people keep asking “what Oscar did Lionel Richie win?” because new generations know him from American Idol , tours, and TikTok clips more than from 80s award shows. Every time he appears on major broadcasts or returns to the Oscars stage to present the song category, that 1986 win for “Say You, Say Me” gets mentioned again and starts trending in searches and forum threads.

TL;DR:
Lionel Richie won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Say You, Say Me” from White Nights at the 1986 Academy Awards; his other songs “Endless Love” and “Miss Celie’s Blues” were nominated but did not win.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.