Why Lady Gaga Isn't Performing at the 2023 Oscars Despite Nomination
'Hold My Hand,' her hit single from 'Top Gun: Maverick,' is up for Best Original Song.
Despite an invitation and nomination, Lady Gaga won't be performing at the Oscars on March 12.
The singer apparently turned down the opportunity to perform her Academy Award-nominated song, citing conflicts in her schedule, according to statements made by Oscars producer Glenn Weiss during the Oscars Creative Team press conference on March 8.
"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."
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Gaga, who is set to make a special appearance in the Joker sequel, Folie à Deux, is currently on set filming and won't be attending the awards show. Her nominated song, "Hold My Hand," was featured in Top Gun: Maverick.
This wouldn't have been Gaga's first Oscars performance (or her first nomination); she previously took the stage in 2019 when she performed her original hit "Shallow" from A Star Is Born, which was awarded Best Original Song that year.
Despite her absence, the show must go on, and all other nominees for this year's Best Original Song have been confirmed to perform at the ceremony, which includes: Rihanna's "Lift Me Up," Sofia Carson and Diane Warren's "Applause," Stephanie Hsu, David Byrne and Son Lux's "This Is Life" and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava's "Naatu Naatu."
The Oscars will air live on ABC this Sunday, March 12.
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