WATCH: Lady Gaga Belts Out 4 Non Blondes' 'What's Up'

Several LGBT musicians and allies were feted at last night's 46th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame awards dinner in New York City. This year's inductees to the prestigious group include out singer-songwriter Linda Perry and LGBT activist Cyndi Lauper.

Lady Gaga also received the organization's very first Contemporary Icon Award.

Moments before Gaga presented Perry with her award, she took the stage and delivered a throaty rendition of "What's Up," the 1993 hit by Perry's old band, 4 Non Blondes.

"The song I just sang changed my life a million times over," Gaga told the audience afterward in a speech detailing how much her friend Perry's work has meant to her.

When Perry accepted her award, she told the crowd that back in the early 1990s she had no money and was "trying to figure out how to eat" just as "What's Up" became a hit. Though Perry, who is married to Sara Gilbert, cohost of The Talk, has now written several other hit songs for stars including Pink and Christina Aguilera, she said the work still thrills her. "It'll never get old to hear a song I wrote on the radio," she said. "Or to hear someone tell me what they experienced when they heard a song I wrote."

Check out Gaga's performance of "What's Up":