Ink at the Oscars

The Academy Awards represent the biggest night in film each year as celebrities and iconic filmmakers all gather to look back at a year of cinematic history and dole out the coveted Oscar awards. With such a massive, and highly viewed red carpet event that’s been going on for the better part of a century, no one would have believed that the 87th Academy Awards would have been home to so many amazing tattoos on display, and not just on the red carpet, but front and center on stage all night long. The performance that has everyone talking, however, is Lady Gaga‘s “Sound of Music” tribute to Julie Andrews. While the queen of Artpop is typically known for her radical performances, bizarre costumes, and experimental pop songs, her musical number at the Oscars was a toned down Gaga that completely stole the show. With all of the gimmicks removed, Gaga belted Andrews’ classics reminding everyone watching that the pop star got where she was because of her voice, not just her strange stage antics. Among all of the elegance and classic motifs that Gaga’s performance emulated, it was the trumpet tattoo by Becca Roach that stood out far past Gaga’s gorgeous white gown. The instrumental ink that also features the signature “Benedetto” commemorates Gaga’s recent collaboration, Cheek to Cheek, with the jazz legend Tony Bennett. It’s only suiting that her tribute performance to a film and musical legend like Andrews would also showcase her own admiration for such an influential and iconic jazz musician.

Gaga’s performance was not the only one of the night that showed some inked up celebs putting on the ritz. The radiant as ever Rita Ora graced the audience with a live rendition of the Oscar-nominated song “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights with her own ink peeking out from her black and white ensemble, and Maroon 5 vocalist, Adam Levine showed off both of his full sleeves while performing the Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars” from Begin Again. An event like this fifty, twenty, or even ten years ago would not have hosted three visibly tattooed performers with such high regard. When Twitter exploded with fans going gaga for Gaga, all of the talk focused on the pop star’s voice rather than the fact that she was visibly tattooed. In such a high profile event for tattoos to be immediately received without a second glance shows how the industry has grown in acceptance in pop culture since its days in the twentieth century as a widely regarded taboo. Today, tattoos have now become prominent parts of Calvin Klein campaigns, the Rosetta space probe team and award ceremonies, and we can’t wait to see where (and on who) they pop up next!

Want to know more about these celebrities’ ink? Check out this piece on Lady’s Gaga’s latest ink dedicated to her fans and Tony Bennet right here, as well as an exclusive behind the scenes video for our cover shoot with Adam Levine.