To provide a mechanism for and a method of holding a workpiece, by which production of double blanks is suppressed and productivity is stabilized.

This mechanism 100 for holding the workpiece W from a stack 20 in which a plurality of the workpieces W are stacked includes: the stack 20; guides 21 which are arranged side by side with the stack 20 and with which the workpiece W is positioned; magnetic floaters 21 with which magnetic force is imparted to the stack; an air cylinder 10 with which the uppermost workpiece of the stack 20 is sucked and held; and an air blow 22 with which air is run into a space between the uppermost workpiece W and a workpiece W1 under the workpiece W when the uppermost workpiece W is lifted in an accelerated manner by the air cylinder 10 and stopped suddenly in a region surrounded with guides 21.