Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She initially performed in theater, appearing in high school plays, and studied at CAP21 through New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue a musical career. After leaving a rock band, participating in the Lower East Side's avant garde performance art circuit, and being dropped from a contract with Def Jam Recordings, Gaga worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. There, recording artist Akon noticed her vocal abilities and helped her to sign a joint deal with Interscope Records and his own KonLive Distribution.

Gaga rose to prominence with her debut album The Fame (2008), a critical and commercial success which produced global chart-topping singles such as "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". A follow-up EP, The Fame Monster (2009), was met with a similar reception and released the successful singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone", and "Alejandro". Her second full-length album Born This Way was released in 2011, topping the charts in more than 20 countries, including the United States, where it sold over one million copies in its first week. The album produced number one single "Born This Way". Her third album ARTPOP, released in 2013, topped the US, UK, Mexican and Japanese charts and included the successful singles "Applause" and "Do What U Want". In 2014, Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titled Cheek to Cheek, which became her third consecutive number one album in the United States. For her work in the television series American Horror Story: Hotel, Gaga won a Golden Globe Award in 2016. In 2016, she released her fifth studio album, Joanne.

Gaga is noted for her diverse contributions to the music industry via her self-empowering messages, fashion, and live performances. With global album and single sales of 27 million and 146 million respectively, as of January 2016, she is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Her achievements include 13 MTV VMA awards, 12 Guinness World Records, 6 Grammy Awards, and a Songwriters Hall of Fame's Contemporary Icon Award—first artist ever to win—for "attaining an iconic status in pop culture". She regularly appears on Billboard 's Artists of the Year lists and Forbes's power and earnings rankings. In 2013, Time listed Gaga as one of the Most Influential People of the Decade, while in 2015, she was named Billboard '​s Woman of the Year. For her work in the television series American Horror Story: Hotel, Gaga also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film in 2016. Outside of entertainment, she is noted for her philanthropic endeavors and social activism, including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDSprevention. In 2012, Gaga established the Born This Way Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment.

Legacy
Gaga has been regarded as a trail blazer throughout several points in her career, sometimes utilizing controversy to bring attention to various issues. With the meteoric success of The Fame, Gaga is credited as being one of the frontrunners of the rise in the popularity of synthpop in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Writer Brian Solis says,"It's all about how you cultivate your community," Solis said. "Celebs have never shied away from causes and in many ways it's expected that they will use their celebrity to gain attention for those causes. But it's what (Gaga) does over time and how her community responds that starts the lean-over into the influence factor. Polaroid CEO, upon working with Gaga, says,"she's a true artist who inspires her fans and the creative community. The relationship she has with her fans is exceptionally close and she is consistently in contact with them via social networks, making her messages accessible, authentic and far reaching." Her work has influenced Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor, Ellie Goulding, Halsey, Nicki Minaj, Nick Jonas, Sam Smith, Tyler Oakley, Lohanthony, Lorde, Greyson Chance, Debbie Harry of Blondie, Noah Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, and MGMT.

Gaga's outlandish fashion sense has also been one of her characteristic aspects. The Global Language Monitor named "Lady Gaga" as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark "no pants" a close third. Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying, "Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, Gaga's outréensembles brought performance art into the mainstream." Time placed Gaga on their "All-Time 100 Fashion Icons List" amongst some of Gaga's inspirations such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and The Beatles, stating: "Lady Gaga is just as notorious for her outrageous style as she is for her pop hits. After all, Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, has sported outfits made from plastic bubbles, Kermit the Frog dolls, and raw meat."

Gaga has been commemorated in the scientific names of several organisms. A new genus of ferns, Gaga, and two species, G. germanotta and G. monstraparva have been named in her honor. The name monstraparva alluded to Gaga's fans known as "little monsters" since their symbol is the outstretched "monster claw" hand, which resembles a tightly in-rolled young fern leaf prior to unfurling. Gaga also has an extinct mammal, Gagadon, and a parasitic wasp, Aleiodes gaga, named for her.

Studio albums

 * The Fame (2008)
 * The Fame Monster (2009)
 * Born This Way (2011)
 * ARTPOP (2013)
 * Cheek to Cheek (2014)
 * Joanne (2016)

Compilation albums

 * The Remix (2010)
 * The Singles (2010)
 * Born This Way: The Remix (2011)

Singles

 * Just Dance (2008)
 * Poker Face (2008)
 * Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) [2009]
 * LoveGame (2009)
 * Paparazzi (2009)
 * Bad Romance (2009)
 * Telephone (2010)
 * Alejandro (2010)
 * Born This Way (2011)
 * Judas (2011)
 * The Edge of Glory (2011)
 * Yoü and I (2011)
 * Marry the Night (2011)
 * Applause (2013)
 * Do What U Want (2013)
 * G.U.Y. (2014)
 * Perfect Illusion (2016)
 * Million Reasons  (2016)

Promotional singles

 * Beautiful, Dirty, Rich (2008)
 * Vanity (2008)
 * Christmas Tree (2008)
 * Dance in the Dark (2009)
 * Hair (2011)
 * Venus (2013)
 * Dope (2013)
 * Winter Wonderland (2014)
 * A-Yo (2016)

Non-album singles

 * Til It Happens To You (2015)

Film

 * The Zen of Bennett (2012)
 * Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)
 * Machete Kills (2013)
 * Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
 * Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
 * Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer (2015)

Concert film

 * Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden (2011)
 * Lady Gaga: iTunes Festival (2013)
 * Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live! (2014)

Television

 * American Horror Story: Hotel (2015-2016)

Headlining tours

 * The Fame Ball Tour (2009)
 * The Monster Ball Tour (2009-11)
 * Born This Way Ball (2012-13)
 * ArtRave: The Artpop Ball (2014)

Co-headlining tours

 * Fame Kills: Starrting Kanye West and Lady Gaga (2009-10) [Cancelled]
 * Cheek to Cheek Tour (With Tony Bennett) [2014-15]

Residency shows

 * Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom (2014)

Promotional concerts

 * ArtRave (2013)
 * Dive Bar Tour (2016)

Fragrances

 * Fame (2012)
 * Eau de Gaga (2014)

Awards and achievements
As of January 2016, Gaga had sold an estimated 27 million albums and 146 million singles worldwide and her singles are some of the best-selling worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists. She is also noted as a touring force as she has grossed more than $500 million from worldwide concert tours. Her other achievements include 6 Grammy Awards, 13 MTV Video Music Awards, 12 Guinness World Records, a Golden Globe, a Songwriters Hall of Fame's Contemporary Icon Award, in which she was the first artist ever to win, and a National Arts Awards's Young Artist Award, which honors individuals who have achieved incredible accomplishments and exemplary leadership while still early in their career.

Gaga has consecutively appeared on Billboard magazine's Artists of the Year (scoring the definitive title in 2010), and named as Woman of the Year in 2015, is the fourth best selling digital singles artist in the United States according to RIAA, became the first woman to receive the Digital Diamond Award from RIAA, and is the first and only artist to have two songs pass 7 million downloads ("Poker Face" and "Just Dance"). She is regularly placed on lists composed by Forbes magazine, including their list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2014, named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2010, and the "second most influential people of the past ten years" through a readers' poll in 2013.

Major associations:

 * Academy Awards: (1 nomination)
 * American Music Awards: (1 win) - (9 nominations)
 * Billboard Music Awards: (7 wins) - (34 nominations)
 * Emmy Awards: (2 nominations)
 * Golden Globe: (1 win) - (1 nomination)
 * Grammy Awards: (6 wins) - (17 nominations)
 * Guinness World Records: (12 records)
 * MTV Video Music Awards: (13 wins) - (26 nominations)
 * People's Choice Awards: (3 wins) - (14 nominations)
 * Satellite Awards: (1 win) - (3 nominations)

Special awards:

 * Billboard Woman in Music: Rising Star Award (2009)
 * CFDA Fashion Awards: Fashion Icon Award (2011)
 * Glamour Awards: Woman of the Year (2013)
 * Songwriters Hall of Fame: Contemporary Icon Award ( 2015)
 * Billboard Woman in Music: Woman of the Year (2015)
 * Jane Ortner Education Award: Jane Ortner Artist Award (2016)