You know what they say: There can be 100 awards-granting bodies in an industry, and 99 don’t give you Best Actress, but all it takes is one. That one was the New York Film Critics Circle, which recognized Gaga’s extremely dedicated turn as Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci with its Best Actress trophy. And that meant last night, at the NYFCC’s awards ceremony, the actress — snubbed at the upcoming Oscars after a campaign for the ages — still got to deliver the acceptance speech she deserves. Gaga focused her tearful speech on the “strong Italian women” who raised her. “Thank you to the New York Film Critics Circle for recognizing my performance as Best Actress this year,” she told the audience. “I can’t even [believe I get to] hear myself say it. In doing so you have recognized all the women in my family, because it was through them that I was able to create the heart and soul of this character, the one that she deserved.”
In true Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta fashion, she went on to talk about having “big feelings,” meatballs (“or actually in Italy, meatballs aren’t a real thing, it would be ragú”), how “it’s really hard to say good-bye to art,” and growing up in New York City. “I will cherish this award as if it were handed to me by my ancestors, because I know it came from my home,” Gaga said. Congratulazioni! And good thing she got that out of her system before she has to present at the Oscars next weekend.
