Lady Gaga Goes Makeup-Free for 2023 Oscars Performance After Commanding the Red Carpet in Butt-Baring Gown

Lady Gaga decided to go back to the basics with her style for a stripped-back performance of "Hold My Hand" at the 2023 Oscars.

During Sunday's award show, the Grammy-winning songstress hit the stage for a powerfully raw performance of the Top Gun: Maverick track, which was nominated for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song). Gaga's nomination for the track was among the Tom Cruise-led film's six total nods, which also includes Best Picture.

Gaga's presence and hard-hitting vocals contrasted her pared-down performance outfit, which only included a black T-shirt, ripped jeans and sneakers. She also sang with a makeup-free face and twisted her hair into a French braid updo.

The Star Is Born actress introduced the song with an inspiring message on community and love.

Kevin Winter/Getty Lady Gaga

"It's deeply personal for me," she began. "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."

Arturo Holmes/Getty

Gaga's natural laid-back appearance was a striking contrast to her high-glamour red carpet ensemble. Ahead of the ceremony, she took the spotlight in a Versace gown originally modeled by supermodel Gigi Hadid during the label's recent Fall/Winter 2023 runway show in Los Angeles.

The dress featured a mesh long-sleeve bodice with corset panels that seamlessly transitioned into a full low-waisted skirt exposing her backside.

She also sported a slicked-back updo, diamond collar necklace, glossy red lip and smoky eye.

Mike Coppola/Getty

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The "Poker Face" singer's nomination is her fourth time being recognized by the Academy. Though she didn't win the trophy this year, she previously nabbed the Oscar in this category in 2019 for "Shallow," which was featured in her 2018 remake of A Star Is Born co-starring Bradley Cooper.

Gaga was initially not scheduled to perform "Hold My Hand" during Sunday's ceremony. Previously, Oscars producer Glenn Weiss revealed during a press conference that a scheduling conflict due to Gaga's involvement in the Joker sequel, Folie à Deux, prevented her from being available.

"We have great relationships with Lady Gaga and her camp [but] she's in the middle of shooting a movie right now, and here we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie," Weiss said. "After a bunch of back and forth, it didn't feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we're used to with her, that she's used to and all that stuff."

Weiss continued, "So she is not going to perform on the show. However, this is all from our point of view about someone making a movie, and us completely understanding that that's what is priority in this business, especially when we are honoring movies."

Multiple outlets confirmed hours ahead of Sunday's ceremony that Gaga would, in fact, take the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to perform "Hold My Hand."

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The Oscars are airing live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET.