The list of 2016 Oscar nominations were announced Thursday, and despite a few snubs and controversy around who was and wasn't nominated, celebrities still took time out to share their appreciation over their nominations.
Lady Gaga received her first Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Till It Happens to You" from "The Hunting Ground," a documentary exposing sexual assault and rape crimes on college campuses in America. Gaga wrote the song with songwriter, Diane Warren.
The 29-year-old "American Horror Story" actress took to social media to express her gratitude and dedicate her nomination to sexual assault victims and survivors, Billboard reported.
"This nomination lends a voice to so many victims and their families around the world. Thank you to The Academy for recognizing the movement of people who have come together around 'The Hunting Ground' and 'Til It Happens To You' in the name of sexual assault. Diane Warren and I are simply honored to represent the voices of so many survivors," Gaga wrote.
Warren, who has been nominated in the same category seven times before, praised Gaga for taking the song to a different level. "When I called her and played her the song, it was more of a somber ballad, but she really made it epic. She made it hers and took it to another level by arranging the shit out of it and singing the shit out of it," she said.
"I also [wrote] a song that fits outside of the movie, that can be about dealing with [any] difficult situation from bullying to losing somebody to losing your job," Warren added.
Jennifer Lawrence, who previously won the Best Actress Oscar for her work in "Silver Linings Playbook," released a statement after being nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her work in "Joy."
"I am beyond grateful and humbled by this nomination. I feel incredibly honored to be recognized among the other amazing women in this category," the 25-year-old actress shared in a statement, according to TheWrap.
Lawrence continued: "'Joy' is an incredibly inspiring story about an ordinary woman who does extraordinary things. For me, working with David O. Russell has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I share this nomination with him as well as our incredible supporting cast. I could not be more proud to be a part of this film and thankful to the producers and Fox for their unyielding support."
"Joy" was released last Christmas. Joining Lawrence in the best actress in a leading role category is Brie Larson for "Room" and Saoirse Ronan for "Brooklyn."
Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar for best leading actor in "The Theory of Everything," was nominated again for best actor in a leading role for "The Danish Girl."
"I'm incredibly grateful to the Academy for this nomination - particularly in a year with so many brilliant films and performances," he said, according to Us Weekly. "This nomination is a testament to the vision of our fearless director Tom Hooper, and the support of my fellow cast members, especially the incandescent Alicia Vikander. Being recognized for The Danish Girl is particularly special to me; if sharing Lili and Gerda's journey and their love story can in any small way be a part of positive social change - then I will be even more grateful."
"The Revenant" leads the Oscar race with 12 nominations, including best picture, Tom Hardy for supporting actor, Alejandro Inárritu for best director and Leonardo DiCaprio for best actor in a leading role.
"I am so grateful to the Academy for their recognition of this film," DiCaprio said in statement, according to JustJared.com. "Making 'The Revenant' was one of the most rewarding and collaborative experiences of my life. None of this would have been possible without Alejandro's talent, vision and determination. Our dedicated crew also deserves to share in this moment. Together, they have created a truly unique cinematic experience. Congratulations to all of my fellow nominees this season. Thank you to the Academy."
The Oscars will be hosted by Chris Rock and will air Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC.
See the full list of nominees.
