Lady Gaga says writing Oscar-nominated song was a ‘deep and powerful experience’

By Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Lady Gaga says writing her Oscar-nominated song for Tom Cruise’s blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick was a “deep and powerful experience”.

The Poker Face singer thanked the Academy for her nomination, adding that she was “so grateful” for the magic of music and cinema”.

Gaga was nominated for her song Hold My Hand and will compete with a field that includes fellow pop star Rihanna, who was nominated for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Lift Me Up, for best original song at the Oscar nominations on Tuesday.

It is her second nod, having been nominated for and won the same accolade in 2019 for Shallow from A Star Is Born, in which she starred alongside Bradley Cooper.

“Thank you so much to the Academy for nominating my song ‘Hold My Hand’ for an Oscar this year!” Gaga wrote, sharing a picture of herself on Instagram.

“Writing this song for the film Top Gun: Maverick was a deep and powerful experience that I will never forget.

“So grateful for the magic of music and cinema. Love you my co-writer @bloodpop I’m on set filming now big love to little monsters!”

Also nominated in the Academy’s best song category are Applause by Diane Warren from Tell It Like A Woman; This Is A Life from Everything Everywhere All At Once and Naatu Naatu by MM Keeravani and Chandrabose from RRR.

Naatu Naatu has successfully fended off the pop titans thus far, winning the equivalent categories at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards earlier this month.

Noticeably absent from the list was Taylor Swift, who failed to pick up her first nomination for her track Carolina, written for southern murder-mystery Where The Crawdads Sing.