Lady Gaga Calls the Music Industry a ‘Boys Club’ In Emotional Speech

Lady Gaga is calling out the music industry, in fact, dubbing it “a boys club.”

Acknowledged for her songwriting and artistry, Mother Monster gave an emotional speech while accepting the Woman of the Year honor at this year’s Billboard Women in Music event in New York City on Friday.

During her address, Gaga – born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta – made a poignant note about the difficulties of being a female recording artist.

“What I really want to say is that it is really hard sometimes for women in music. It’s like a f—ing boys club that we just can’t get in to,” she said as the room broke out in roaring applause.

“I tried for so long, I just really wanted to be taken seriously as a musician for my intelligence more than my body ever in this business,” adding, “You don’t always feel like when you’re working that people believe that you have musical background, that you understand what you’re doing because you’re a female.”

Not only was the crowd in support of her remarks, Gaga received loving encouragement from her family and fiancé Taylor Kinney, who were all in attendance. Proud mom Cynthia Germanotta also gave a touching introduction to present her six-time Grammy winning daughter with the recognition.

“Tonight is so important because women provide a wisdom to music that is very unique and special,” Gaga continued. “It is a perspective that no other person can have because we bear life. And we go through things that no one goes through and more importantly because it’s right because we’re all equal.”

This year is proving to be another memorable one for the star. Gaga recently received her first Golden Globe Award nomination for her work in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Horror.

In addition, she earned a Grammy Award nod for “Til It Happens to You” – an emotional ballad for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about campus rape.

This article originally appeared on People.com