Lady Gaga gives a surprise performance at the Oscars

Lady Gaga gave a surprise performance at the Oscars on Sunday. Gaga was nominated for best song for "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick," and while it is customary for the nominated songs to be performed, last week producers said she wouldn't be able to make it.

Lady Gaga performs onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023. She was nominated for best song for "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick," / Getty Images

The awards show's producer, Glen Weiss, explained during a press conference last week why Gaga couldn't perform. "We have a great relationship with Lady Gaga and her camp," he said, according to Entertainment Tonight. But because she is in the middle of filming the newest "Joker" movie, she didn't feel she "could deliver a performance at the caliber" she is used to, he said.

However, Gaga showed up to the carpet just ahead of the start of the awards ceremony, and ET confirmed she planned to perform. She walked part of the carpet with BloodPop, the co-writer of the nominated song.

Lady Gaga and BloodPop attend the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. / Getty Images

The news about her surprise performance was first reported by Variety, and the host of E's carpet coverage commented that Gaga was there to perform. 

In January, Gaga celebrated her nomination by posting an image of a big bouquet on Instagram. She said writing the song alongside BloodPop "was a deep and powerful experience that I will never forget." 

The singer and actress has been nominated for four Oscars. In 2019, she was nominated for best actress for "A Star is Born," and won the Oscar for best song for "Shallow." She was also nominated for best song in 2016 for "Til It Happens to You," from the documentary "The Hunting Ground." 

Despite the buzz surrounding her appearance, as well as Rihanna's performance of "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the Academy Awards voters went a different way: the Oscar for best original song went to "Naatu Naatu" from "RRR."

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