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Lady Gaga has been an absolute gift this awards season, brightening up the race as only she can.

All eyes were on her as she took to the stage halfway through the ceremony, kindly bringing her co-star Bradley Cooper with her for a live performance of Shallow, their duet from A Star Is Born.

With Cooper snubbed in the best director category and an outsider in the best actor category, this was a rare opportunity in the night for him to stretch his legs.

Gaga was back on stage later in the evening to accept the Oscar for best song.

"Thank you to every single person in this room. Bradley, there is not a single person on the planet who could've sung this song with me but you, thank you for believing in us."

She added: "I've worked hard for a long time, It's not about winning, what it's about is not giving up, if you have a dream, fight for it."

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Speaking backstage, Gaga said: "For this film, there were many songs written, but there was one song that was written with true, true friends of mine, who know everything about me, the ups and the downs."

She accepted the prize alongside her three co-writers, Andrew Wyatt, Anthony Rossomando, and Mark Ronson. Cooper did not technically win this prize either as he isn't credited as a writer on the song.

Asked to expand on the struggles she's had to overcome on her journey to Oscar glory, Gaga replies: "I was so determined to live my dreams, and yet there was so much in the way.

"There were so many things I did not anticipate, that broke me, that tortured me, that traumatised me. And I think sometimes that people think that it comes easy to us, that we show up, and we have our suits on, and it's all okay.

"But the truth is this is very, very hard work."