Lady Gaga Gives Stripped-Down Performance of “Hold My Hand” at Oscars

Lady Gaga won over the audience at the 2023 Oscars with a stripped-down version of her Academy Award-nominated song “Hold My Hand.”

The Film Academy originally said Gaga wasn’t going to perform at the 2023 Oscars, but she showed up Sunday in strong form, sitting and holding her microphone closely while singing the track from Top Gun: Maverick.

The end of the performance showed a photo of late director Tony Scott alongside Tom Cruise, with the words: “In memory of Tony Scott.”

Gaga, in no makeup and wearing a black T-shirt and ripped jeans, called “Hold My Hand” a “deeply personal” song. She co-wrote it with longtime collaborator BloodPop.

“We need a lot of love to walk through this life,” she said onstage ahead of the performance. “You might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”

Gaga won best original song for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born at the 2019 Oscars. She was also nominated for best actress that year. She also earned a nod for best original song at the 2016 Oscars for “Til It Happens to You,” which she wrote with Diane Warren. The song is from the documentary The Hunting Ground.

This year, Gaga is nominated for best original song alongside “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which she co-wrote with Tems, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson; Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman; and David Byrne’s “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The 95th Academy Awards is being hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and airing live on ABC. Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner are showrunners and executive produce with Molly McNearney.

See the star-studded Oscars red carpet arrivals.