Suffice it to say that the Oscars has generated its fair share of big moments over the years. I mean, it can be expected that when that many high-profile individuals and huge characters descend on Los Angeles for an event, fireworks are going to ensue.
Even so, waiting to witness just what will happen is all part of the fun. Take, for example, the slap heard around the world, delivered by Will Smith unto Chris Rock last year. Or how about the mix-up that saw the producers of La La Land midway through their acceptance speech for the Best Picture Oscar before it became clear that it was Moonlight, not La La Land, that had won?
We’re sort of happy/sort of disappointed to report that there was no such debacle this year (at least not on that scale). There were, however, a number of moments that got folks at home talking in their droves.
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One such moment belonged to pop icon Lady Gaga, whose track “Hold My Hand”, written for Top Gun: Maverick, was nominated for Best Original Song.
According to reports, prior to the event Lady Gaga’s attendance was far from assured. She’s busy filming for The Joker sequel, but somehow managed to find a gap in her schedule to make her way to LA for Sunday night.
The 36-year-old, real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, turned up at the Dolby Theatre for the Oscars red carpet wearing a Versace gown and sporting smoky eye-liner and striking red lipstick.
Yet it was the Born This Way singer’s outfit change that prompted many watching from the comfort of their homes to take real notice.
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Shortly before singing “Hold My Hand”, Gaga delivered an emotional speech, stating:
“It’s deeply personal for me. I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. We all need a hero sometimes — there’s heroes all around us in unassuming places. But you might find that you could be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”
For a heartfelt rendition of her song, Lady Gaga went make-up free. She also slipped out of the aforementioned Versace gown, wearing instead a black T-shirt, ripped jeans and Converse.
Needless to say, fans had plenty to comment on, and comment they surely did.
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“Hold My Hand” marked Gaga’s fourth nomination for an Oscar, following two previous nominations for Best Original Song (2016 and 2019) – she won in 2019 with “Shallow” – as well as one for Best Actress (2019).
Unfortunately, she went home empty-handed as far as Academy Awards gongs were concerned. “Naatu Naatu” from the movie RRR won the award for Best Original Song this year.
Watch Lady Gaga’s makeup-free performance in the video below:
