Lady Gaga [1] may have won the award for best actress for her role in A Star Is Born [2] at Tuesday's National Board of Review Gala, but it's her moving acceptance speech that has us sobbing. After being introduced by Stephen Colbert [3], Gaga took the stage and opened up about the real-life pain she had to tap into for the role of waitress-turned-singer Ally Maine [4]. "Ally was all the things I was not when I went out into the world to pursue my dreams," Gaga said. "I had to reflect on an earlier time in my life, in high school and earlier when I was bullied . . . I was traumatised by people telling me over and over again that I wasn't and couldn't become who I dreamed of becoming."
However, thanks to Bradley Cooper [5] (who took home the award for best director [6]), Gaga was able to overcome "the trauma of [her] childhood" and manifest Ally. "I would not be standing up here without you," Gaga explained. "Thank you for believing me and being the costar, visionary, and friend. You made me a way better actress." Gaga also gave fiancé Christian Carino [7] a sweet shout-out, thanking him for "loving and taking care of my heart every day."
Gaga concluded her speech by praising her Italian immigrant family including her mom, Cynthia Germanotta [9], who was her date to the fete. "I have always made art not just for myself, but to make my family proud," she said. "I did this one Germanotta-style." Watch Gaga's emotional speech in full above, but make sure you have some tissues nearby before you do.