Lady Gaga has been absolutely killing it this year, and we're not just talking about her American Horror Story victims! In the past 12 months, we have seen Mother Monster make her Oscars debut, land her first major acting role and of course become a fiancée — however these are just a few of Gaga's best moments this year.

1. Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett kick off the Cheek to Cheek Tour

Emilia Staugaard for Gaga Daily

Emilia Staugaard for Gaga Daily

Gaga, along with the ever legendary Mr. Bennett, kicked off 2015 with not one but two sold-out shows at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The shows were met with critical acclaim (we'd expect nothing less!) and were a great taster of things to come throughout her amazing year.

2. Lady Gaga wins her 6th Grammy

Danny Clinch via ladygaga.wikia.com

via justjared.com

In February, the 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles and after a long Grammys hiatus Gaga was back with a nomination and served one of her sexiest red carpet looks ever. Gaga and Tony won the award for their incredible work on Cheek to Cheek bringing Gaga's total Grammy tally to six!

3. Lady Gaga gets engaged to Taylor Kinney

Joe Germanotta via Twitter

Monsters and the media had been speculating about a possible engagement between Gaga and Taylor Kinney for a while and earlier this year our Lady confirmed she had found a Lord. Gaga announced her engagement via social media and sent Little Monsters into utter meltdown. Taylor and Gaga met on the set of the "Yoü and I" music video back in 2011 and... oh, the feels.

4. Lady Gaga honors Stevie Wonder

via gagaimages.co

In February, The Grammys honored legendary soul singer Stevie Wonder with a concert event, which saw an array of top performers such as Beyonce, Ed Sheehan and Ariana Grande sang some of Stevie's greatest hits. During the show, Lady Gaga took to the stage and belted out one of Stevie's best loved songs "I Wish" to a standing ovation from the audience and the entire Wonder clan.

5. Lady Gaga performs at the Oscars

via latimes.com

via gagaimages.co

This moment was truly a punch-the-air moment for all Little Monsters! After a lot of negative press and doubt after the controversial ARTPOP era, audiences didn't know what to expect when it was revealed Lady Gaga would be performing a Sound of Music tribute — however, Mother Monster pulled it out the bag and gave a truly career defining performance. The world was blow away by her flawless tribute which was praised by critics and Sound of Music original Julie Andrews... and we all cried, admit it.

6. Lady Gaga announces Hotel

On February 25th we were still reeling from Gaga's outstanding Oscars debut when she dropped one of the biggest bombshells in her entire career — she was going to be starring in American Horror Story: Hotel. Gaga shared the news via Twitter with a simple, yet scary video clip and social media went into meltdown. What character is she playing? Will she be singing? Will she be any good? Monsters had so many questions and little did we know what this incredible acting debut had in store.

7. Lady Gaga attends Met Gala

via gagaimges.co

via breatheheavy.com

The Annual Met Gala was held earlier this year in New York City, however the 2015 Met Gala was no ordinary Met Gala. World peace was solved at the 2015 event, and there were pictures to prove it. Yes, this event saw Lady Gaga, Madonna and Katy Perry pose for multiple photographs together — stop rubbing your eyes you didn't read that wrong. After 4 years of a very public "fallout" between Gaga and Madonna and an unofficial "rivalry" between Katy Perry and Gaga since 2013, everything was put to bed and fan bases united.

8. Lady Gaga performs at European Games

via gagaimages.co

One of the most powerful moments in Gaga's year came when she made a surprise appearance at the 2015 Baku Games. The huge stadium and millions watching at home had no idea Gaga was lined up to perform at the ceremony, but when she emerged behind a piano made of flowers (queen!) she blew them away with her beautiful rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine."

9. Lady Gaga wins Icon songwriter award

via gagaimages.co

via gagaimages.co

Little Monsters already know Gaga is an extremely talented songwriter... which is why we own her entire discography, however this year her skills were recognised at the highest regard when she was awarded the Contemporary Icon Award by the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame.

10. Lady Gaga performs with U2

via gagaimages.co

In late July musical legends came together to deliver a spectacular, yet surprising, performance to thousands of fans in New York City. The legendary band U2 were performing at Madison Square Garden during their world tour and who just happened to be in attendance? Why, Lady Gaga, of course. Bono himself brought Gaga on stage to perform a unique rendition of "Ordinary Love" — the stadium went wild as did thousand who later watched the performance online. During the performance Gaga was wearing her iconic Alexander McQueen heels, previously worn in the Bad Romance video... it's safe to say that was the highlight of the evening.

11. Brandon Maxwell debuts his first collection

via vmagazine.com

via gagaimages.co

Brandon Maxwell, Gaga's long-term close friend and stylist, made his New York Fashion Week debut this year. During the show he displayed his incredible work to a VIP-filled crowd, his vision received applause throughout the fashion community, but his biggest support came from Gaga herself who attended the show wearing some of Brandon's finest attire... and providing us with some sickening looks, to put it simply, yaaass Gaga and Brandon!

12. Lady Gaga and Diane Warren collaborate on "Til It Happens to You"

via latimes.com

This year Gaga announced that she would be collaborating with the legendary, Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren on the soundtrack for The Hunting Ground documentary, which focuses on the college campus rape, which is sadly a topic close to Gaga's heart. In order to compliment the documentary and draw attention to this important issue, Diane and Gaga wrote and recorded one of Gaga's most emotional and powerful songs ever "Til It Happens To You." To this day the track has received acclaim from both fans and critics, and in December was nominated for a Grammy award.

13. Lady Gaga presents at the Emmys

via gagaimages.co

via gagaimages.co

Little Monsters couldn't wait to see just how Gaga would present herself when she announced that she would indeed be attending and presenting at the 2015 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. But it wasn't because of her potential outfit, this time Gaga was attending as an actress and for the first time would be publicly rubbing shoulders with her new Hollywood peers. Gaga arrived on the red carpet looking absolutely flawless in one of her most simple looks to date — it wasn't exactly "Gaga," but we were certainly here for it. She went on to present an award to Richard Jenkins who totally fangirled over her on stage.

14. Lady Gaga stars in Tom Ford runway video

YouTube

In October, Gaga revealed her collaboration with legendary fashion designer Tom Ford as part of his New York Fashion Week 2015 collection. The pair created a music video, with Gaga at the helm, displaying his latest collection whilst Gaga belted out the classic "I Want Your Love" by Chic -- the salvage was beyond comprehension. Before Little Monsters knew what the #FunkThePunk meant the speculation went into overdrive, was this the lead single for LG5? The answer was no, but we were more than happy with the end result.

15. American Horror Story: Hotel premieres

FX

FX

In October, after 8 months of excitement, the wait was finally over... Gaga was going to be making her acting debut on American Horror Story: Hotel! At this point the only glimpse we had of the highly anticipated series were a few on set snaps and the trailers (which didn't exactly give much away). On the opening episode Gaga (literally) slayed and shut down her critics who praised her acting skills, and continue to do so. The episode became one of the networks most watched broadcasts ever, bringing in a whopping 12.17 million viewers overall.

16. Lady Gaga wins at National Arts Awards

via gagaimages.co

via gagaimages.co

On October 19th the Americans for the Arts held the The 2015 National Arts Awards where they awarded Lady Gaga with the "Young Artist" award for deep commitment to art and extraordinary achievement. This award carries great prestige and Gaga accepted the Jeff Koons-designed trophy looking flawless in Marc Jacobs.

17. Lady Gaga speaks at Yale

Lady Gaga via Instagram

Yet another inspiring moment this year came when Gaga and her mother's Born This Way Foundation teamed up with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to host the "Emotion Revolution" summit. The aim of the event was to bring awareness to the critical role emotions play in young people's lives today, a topic Gaga has personal connection with. One of the best moments of the event came when Gaga gave a speech about her own experiences with emotional issues and how we can help solve them, her words were heard by a packed out auditorium at Yale and millions online.

18. Lady Gaga scores Grammy nomination

As mentioned earlier, Lady Gaga's latest song "Til It Happens To You" was nominated for a Grammy Award at the 58th Annual Grammy Award in the category for "Best Song Written for Visual Media." The Diane Warren-penned track is part of the soundtrack for The Hunting Ground documentary, a film which highlights the current epidemic of college campus rape. This is Gaga's 17th Grammy nod and potentially her 7th win — it's safe to say Little Monsters will be bringing out their Alejandro prayer candles on the night of the ceremony.

19. Lady Gaga earns first Golden Globe nomination

In October, Gaga made her first major acting role debut on television, and just two months later it was officially announced that Lady Gaga had been nominated for a Golden Globe! Little Monsters and American Horror Story fans rejoiced at the news along with Gaga, she may have some stiff competition in the category, but just to be recognised by the academy alongside her nominees is a win in itself.

20. Lady Gaga honors Frank Sinatra

via gagaimages.co

via gagaimages.co

Once again Gaga went back to the classics to provide yet another outstanding performance this year. On December 2nd, Gaga took to the stage alongside Tony Bennett, John Legend, Alicia Keys and many others at Sinatra 100 — An All-Star Grammy Concert, but it was of course our own Gaga who stole the show with her powerful rendition of Sinatra's signature tune, "New York, New York."

21. Lady Gaga named Billboard's Woman of the Year

via gagaimages.co

Billboard

One of the most important and satisfying moments of the year came when Billboard announced that their 2015 Woman Of The Year title would be awarded to the one and only, Lady Gaga. Even though Gaga has released no new music this year, Billboard recognised what Little Monsters already knew: 2015 has been an incredible year for Gaga and her career, from multiple high-prestige nominations and wins, new and successful career ventures, relentless charitable work and of course multiple stellar performances — this award couldn't have been awarded to a more deserving artist. On December 11th in New York City Gaga was presented with the award by her mother as the rest of her family, including her grandmother and fiance, watched on from the A-list crowd. Gaga accepted the award with an emotional speech about the difficulties for women in the music industry, along with an outstanding performance of her latest song "Til It Happens To You." Billboard celebrated Gaga's title with a Billboard magazine cover shoot which provided us with enough YAAAAASSS moments to take us right into 2016!

To mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which is being celebrated across the world today, we have collected ten of the most inspiring Lady Gaga quotes on equality and LGBT rights.

1. It's never wrong to love, but it's always wrong to hate.

When asked about homophobia in hip-hop in a 2009 interview with Fuse TV, Lady Gaga had this to say: "I feel even just in the music industry that there's very public misogynistic and homophobic behavior. When I hear one of the most famous rappers in the world say something homophobic on the radio, I want people to yell at him. I don't have to say who because they know who they are. It's not just hip-hop, it's everywhere. It's wrong. I'm not trying to create and generate more hatred in the world... I just want to generate awareness. It's always wrong to hate but it's never wrong to love."

2. They say this country is equal, but it's not equal if it's sometimes.

In 2010, Lady Gaga took the stage at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. to demand equal rights for the gay community. "Obama, I know you are listening," Gaga said before screaming, "Are you listening? We will continue to push you and your administration to bring your words of promise to a reality. We need change now. We demand actions now."

3. If we don’t stand up for what we believe in, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.

Lady Gaga brought four members of the U.S. Armed Services, who had been discharged because they were openly gay, on the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet. Later that night, she wore a dress made of raw meat to make a powerful statement on equality. "What I was really trying to say was dead meat is dead meat," she told Anderson Cooper. "And anyone that's willing to take their life and die for their country is the same. You're not gay and dead, straight and dead. You are dead."

4. Equality is the prime rib of America, but because I’m gay, I don’t get to enjoy the greatest cut of meat my country has to offer.

5. I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes. I'm on the right track baby, I was Born This Way.

In 2011, Lady Gaga released her anthem "Born This Way," which changed the lives of millions of people and started a movement of love, equality, and acceptance.

6. Modern social issues are real, they are serious and the laws that confine them having an overarching effect on humanity.

Standing before St. Peter's Basilica, Lady Gaga spoke in front of thousands of fans at Europride 2011 in Rome. "Let us give birth to a new and international ideology," she urged. "Let us come together and synthesize our histories into today. Let us be revolutionaries of love and use our human powers, our very strong human powers, to save lives and encourage unity around the world."

7. They said, "When you go to Russia, they may arrest you." I said, "Arrest me, Russia!"

In 2012, Lady Gaga brought her Born This Way Ball tour to Russia, where she was threatened with prosecution for supporting gay rights. During the show in Moscow, she said: "I can't even believe that you're all here because when they first called me they were like, 'we want you to go to Russia but we might have some problems because of all the gay propaganda in your show’. Thank you for spreading the message of equality around the world. Thank you for spreading the message of Born This Way."

8. We're not in the same place that we were 25 years ago when it comes to being gay.

During on of the Born This Way Ball shows in New Zealand, Gaga said: “We’re not in the same place that we were 25 years ago when it comes to being gay. Why do I have to be gay and be a cunt? Why do I have to be gay and have to slice you to defend myself? Why if I’m gay do I have to ah be shady or bite you because I want to defend and separate myself from humanity. We’re not in that place anymore. There’s no need to put people down. With Born This Way, a lot of people tried to stop me, and they still will. But the truth is, it’s not working. It’s not working because it’s not relevant anymore to be hateful about equality. It’s not relevant anymore to be bitter. It’s not relevant anymore to hold on to the past and hold on to the pain of what was, what’s relevant now is to leave that all behind and look forward to a future where it doesn’t matter what you are because we are all human and we all deserve to be valued and know our value no matter where we are. So that’s what my message is.

9. What the Pope thinks of being gay does not matter to the world.

In 2012, to Pope Benedict's comments about same-sex marriage being "defective." She said: "I think that gay marriage is going to happen. It must. We are not actually equal — humanity — if we are not allowed to freely love one another…What the Pope thinks of being gay does not matter to the world. It matters to the people who like the Pope and follow the Pope."

10. If anybody here is uncomfortable with this you should fucking go because you’re on the wrong side of history.

Lady Gaga brought an audience member on stage at the artRAVE in Manchester to help him propose to his boyfriend. "I just want to do something special for you," she said. "I’m not sure, but I think that Jay might have something to ask you." After the man got down on one knee, Gaga wished the couple a "beautiful, long and happy marriage" and added: "I’m pretty sure I don’t have to say this because this a pretty free-thinking city but I’m going to fucking say it anyway: if you are living in the UK or in Manchester and whether you are young or old or in the middle, if you are gay hold your head up high and be proud. You don’t have to hide. You’re human. And if anybody here in the audience, I can’t imagine there is, but if anybody here is uncomfortable with this you should probably fucking go because you’re on the wrong side of history and everybody in here is on the right side."

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards are this weekend, and even though Lady Gaga is not performing this year (she's too busy killing it, literally and figuratively, on the set of American Horror Story), it's still an exciting night for all pop music fans. Take a look back at Lady Gaga's best VMAs moments, from her bloody good debut at the 2009 show, to her stunning performance of "Applause" in 2013, below!

1. When Gaga made her VMA red carpet debut with Kermit the Frog

Accompanied by Kermit the Frog, Lady Gaga arrived at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards wearing a stunning black Jean Paul Gaultier dress bedecked with feathers. "I'm here supporting my friends tonight, and we're just really happy to be here," Gaga told Sway during her first VMA red carpet interview. "We love MTV. And I'm really happy to be here with my date, Kermit."

2. When Gaga changed the game with her bloody performance of "Paparazzi"

Lady Gaga took the stage for the iconic performance of "Paparazzi," which is still considered to be one of the best performances in the history of the VMAs. Inspired the death of Princess Diana, and the public's fascination with the demise of the celebrity, Gaga covered herself in blood and staged a fake death as she sang the hit single from her debut album The Fame.

3. When Gaga won her first Video Music Award for Best New Artist

Lady Gaga accepted her very first MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist from Eminem. "I will always remember Best New Artist," Gaga recalls. 'I just remember that I won and I was surprised and I was really taken aback. I remember I asked Eminem to hold my Moonman. And than he sort of looked at me like, 'Are you f—ing kidding me?' But he's really cool, so it was fine."

4. When Gaga scored eighteen nominations and broke records

Following the release of her epic music videos for "Bad Romance" and "Telephone," Lady Gaga scored thirteen Video Music Awards nominations and broke the record for the most nods in a single night. She earned five more additional nominations as a featured artist on Beyoncé's "Video Phone," bringing the total to eighteen. Lady Gaga still holds the record and no artist has ever come close to breaking it.

5. When Gaga brought discharged gay soldiers to the red carpet

Lady Gaga had not one but four guests when she arrived at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet. Gaga's dates were gay and lesbian soldiers who had been discharged due to the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. "I'm here for a very important cause today," Gaga said. "These are all my friends and their stories are really inspiring and there's so much that we can do right now. The most inspiring thing about having them here with me today is that we can spread the message, because we really need to to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

6. When Gaga wowed the world with the meat dress

When Lady Gaga took the stage to accept the Video of the Year Moonman for "Bad Romance" - her eighth award of the night - wearing a dress made of raw meat. The instantly-iconic outfit, now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was a statement about the need to fight for what we believe in, otherwise "we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones."

7. When Gaga announced Born This Way

Just when fans thought the night couldn't get any better, Lady Gaga dropped the ultimate surprise and announced the title of her album Born This Way. "I was so nervous for tonight that I would let my fans down," a tearful Gaga told the crowd before singing lines from the album's title track, which a year later would go on to change the lives of millions of people.

8. When Gaga opened the VMAs in drag

Lady Gaga wowed the crowed when she opened the VMAs as her male alter-ego Jo Calderone with a lengthy monologue about Calderone's troubled relationship with the star. To prepare for the performance, Gaga spent the whole day in drag and even used men's restrooms. 

"She showed up as Jo, rehearsed as Jo, if you said 'Gaga,' she wouldn't respond," said VMA Executive Producer Dave Sirulnick. "After rehearsals, she comes over, she says to me, 'It's nice to meet you,' and I say to her, 'I know your friend Gaga,' and she says, 'That Gaga, what a bitch!' She did not break character once. Over the years, lots of people have done lots of things, lots of people have worn lots of things, but no one has been that committed, that in character."

9. When Gaga performed "Yoü and I" with Brian May

Gaga then launched into an epic performance of her hit single "Yoü and I" during which she sang, danced, drank beer and jammed with legendary Queen guitarist Brian May.

10. When Gaga almost made out with Britney Spears

Still in drag, Lady Gaga stepped out onstage to honor to Britney Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. "When I used to perform at open mic nights for free, at small clubs in New York, one of my biggest inspirations was Britney Spears," she said. "Britney taught me how to be fearless, she taught us all how to be fearless. She's a pop music legend, and the industry would not be the same without her."

Gaga continued: "I used to have photos of Britney on my walls and would touch myself when I was laying in bed." She then pulled Britney in for a kiss, but the pop princess rejected the attempt, saying: "I've already done that!"

11. When Gaga changed five outfits in three minutes and sang "Applause"

Lady Gaga made a grand return to the VMAs stage when she opened the 2013 show with "Applause." During the epic performance, Mother Monster went through five quick outfit changes highlighting the looks she has sported over her career.

Monsters, what Lady Gaga moment at the MTV Video Music Awards is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Lady Gaga never hesitates to stand up for others, whether it's her friends, fans or fellow artists — after all, they don't call her "Goddess of Love" for nothing. 

1. When Gaga said people were "too tough" on Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera hit all the right notes during her 2011 performance of the American National Anthem at the Super Bowl, but faced severe criticism for forgetting some of the lyrics. Gaga came in defence of the fellow powerhouse pop star, saying: "She is so wonderful and she is so talented. And, I think we're in this stage, right now, in the industry where everyone is very analytical and very hard on everyone."

2. When she told everyone to "lighten up" and leave Miley Cyrus alone

In 2013, Miley Cyrus was critisized by music fans and fellow celebrities for her risqué performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. However, Gaga told Andy Cohen: "Everyone needs to lighten up and leave her alone. Everyone's entitled to their own artistic expression, and if you have a problem with it, just change the channel. I just don't understand the incessant need to go on and on about hating things all the time. She's 20 years old, and if anything I give her props. She's growing up in front of the entire world."

3. When Gaga backed Kanye over that VMA stage invasion

"I was thinking, 'Oh gosh,'" Gaga said when asked about Kanye's infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards incident. "But, like, I would say he's a good guy and everybody makes mistakes, and he feels so f—ing bad. He really does. I think that everyone can get so caught up in gossip and stuff. I think it's unfair to judge somebody on one mistake they've made. That moment really portrayed him in a way that he really isn't. It was just a random moment."

4. And when 5 years later, she stood up for Beck after Kanye's Grammy diss

In 2015, Lady Gaga was among the many musicians who came in Beck's defence after he was dissed by Kanye West at the Grammys. Gaga tweeted: "It is very strange to see people who don't know Beck or don't realize how important he is to music. He's a musical genius, listen to him."

5. When Gaga defended Adam Lambert against a homophobe

In 2009, Lady Gaga was partying at a club in Canada when a man approached her saying, "I saw you and Adam Lambert on the AMA show, and the guy’s a flaming f——t  and I also think that you're actually a man!" Gaga fired back: "Well, that's your opinion, isn't it? And Im not about to waste my time trying to change it."

The angry man replied, "Well, you're a freak and so is he!" Before Gaga left she said: "Okay, that's it! Call me anything you want, but when you start calling my friends names, it's over — it's war!" Lady Gaga then reportedly poured a glass of water on the drunken man and the whole bar cheered.

6. When Gaga defended Katy Perry from overly-sensitive viewers

In 2013, Lady Gaga spoke out to defend Katy Perry from a backlash she suffered after her 'geisha' performance at the American Music Awards which many viewers labeled as racist. She said: "Maybe it's because 'Unconditionally' means you're supposed to love no matter what and geishas are paid? I think people are generally too sensitive and they should just leave her be."

7. And when she wouldn't allow her fans to poke fun at Ms. Perry either

Lady Gaga jumped to Katy Perry's defence when a fan on LittleMonsters.com poked fun at Katy's lack of Grammy Awards. "No negativity on this site, thank you," she told the fan.

8. When Gaga dispensed words of wisdom on Justin Bieber

In 2015, Lady Gaga hung out with Justin Bieber and gave some words of wisdom to the young superstar. "He really has a sweetness to him," Mother Monster wrote on Instagram. "He grew up in front of the whole world. I reminded him to not get bothered. Because at the end of the day. He's the boss, and life isn't always Roses. Lots of thorns." 

9. When Gaga left the VMAs to support One Direction

Lady Gaga was absolutely outraged when the British boy band was booed on stage after receiving an award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Mother Monster was so disappointed that she left the show to comfort the boys backstage.

"I just want to tell you that you deserve every bit of success that you have," she told the band. "And don't you dare let those people boo you. I want to leave right now, I don’t want to stay anymore. Because I don't want to be in a room where people will boo like that."

In a later interview, Gaga added: "I was completely embarrassed for MTV and for America during the awards show because if I was in the UK and I had won, there is no way that anybody would have booed me, because it's so impolite. Keep your f—king feelings to yourself. If you don't like it, politely clap and smile and then go be a normal person and talk about me behind my back."

Way to go, Gaga!