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In a powerful moment at the 2025 Grammy Awards, artist Chappell Roan set the stage ablaze with a bold and unapologetic speech that sparked conversation across social media. Winning theBest New Artistaward, Roan seized the moment to hold record labels accountable for their exploitable practices.
In her address, she talked about health insurance, calling out the record labels for profiting millions of dollars from the artists and providing less to the rising artists. Surrounding her mysterious “Nepo” status, the audience quickly embraced her fierce speech, highlighting her courage to speak out.
Although there is rarely any touch of privilege in her upbringing, her fiery speech on the big stage will remain iconic in the history of award shows.
Chappell Roan delivered a fiery speech at the Grammys, throwing shade at the record labels
Upon winning theBest New ArtistGrammyaward,Chappell Roangraced the stage and took direct aim at the industry moguls for their failure to provide health insurance to the new artists.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter thanked her family, friends, and fellow artists who were nominated in her category–
Thank you to my fellow nominees, who got me through this year, Brat was the best night of my life this year. My hat’s gonna fall and it’s gonna be ok. Thank you all who listened to get me here today, and Dan and Island Records and Amusement Records, my friends, and my family. And above all, my Papa Chappell, who I named myself after.
The singer directly proceeded to call out record labels who profit millions from developing artists–
I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.
Roan shared her experience in the industry as a new artist who was dropped by her record label. She continued–
Because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor, and when I got dropped I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance. It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized to not have healthcare. And if my label would have prioritized artists’ health I would have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to. So record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance protection. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?
Pink Pony Clubhitmaker demanded that record labels step up and acknowledge the value of their artists, concluding with a banger:“Labels, we got you but do you got us?”
Roan started her singing career by uploading songs on YouTube around the age of 15. At 17, she was signed by Atlantic Records and released a few songs. However, in 2020 the label did not find her profitable enough and dropped her. She briefly moved back to her hometown andworked in a drive-throughwhile working on her music independently.
“This was really disrespectful”: Babyface Getting Ignored Because of Chappell Roan on Grammys Red Carpet Is Just Painful to Watch
In 2023, Roan found a new home with her long-time collaborator Dan Nigro, a Grammy-winning producer of artists likeOlivia Rodrigo, at Amusement Label, under Island Records. In the same year, she released her debut album,The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
Chappell Roan doesn’t qualify for the “Nepo Baby” status
In the wake of her Grammy speech, fans began questioning her mysterious “Nepo baby” identity. People on Twitter praised her for being so straightforward and stating the needs of the new artists.
chappell roan is why it’s important we have talent who arent nepo babies – bc you know a famous director’s daughter isnt gonna get up there and talk about health insurance!!!
On the other hand, people were quick to compare her with singer Gracie Abrams, who is the daughter of filmmaker and producer J. J. Abrams (writer ofStar Wars: The Force Awakening). Her fans praised Roan’s courage to spotlight the challenges faced by new artists.
This gracie abrams shade 😭😭😭
And I fear this is why a lot of normal talented people don’t get famous for this reason
However, the shade doesn’t justify hate towards a fellow talented musician. Some other fans also defended Abrams, recognizing her vocal opinion on political and social causes.
What’s the point if bringing Gracie up? She’s talked more about Palestine and voting for Kamala then your fav artist probably has
this is not about anyone specifically !! famous actor/actress/director/producer….the point is that it’s important to have successful people who have different experiences
The term “Nepo baby,” is used to describe children of celebrities who benefit from their parents’ fame and connections, has been a hot-button topic in recent years. Contrary to that, Roan has no one in her family with a musical background.
Roan’s mother is a veterinarian, and her father is a registered nurse, while her uncle is a Missouri state representative, Darin Chappell. She was raised in Missouri and had a conservative Christian upbringing, which tells her a different story.
“You were so disrespectful to me”: Chappell Roan Bravely Calling Out a Photographer For Yelling at Her is Why She’s Not Like Other Celebs
Whether an artist is privileged or not it is always the hard work and dedication that earns a place in the spotlight. The narrative pitting women against each other is counterproductive and does nothing to address the real issues at hand.
Roan’s words have empowered many fellow musicians to speak up about often-overlooked hardships in the industry. As she continues to rise to stardom, it’s clear she is not only breaking musical boundaries but also advocating for meaningful change within the system.
Kaberi Ray
Articles Published :533
Kaberi is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire with over one year of experience specializing in pop culture and entertainment trends. She has written over 500 in-depth articles covering everything from fan theories to narrative dissection, focusing on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Paramount Plus.Before joining FandomWire, Kaberi honed her storytelling skills through literary analysis and creative projects rooted in her academic background in English Literature. Her strengths lie in her ability to decode layered storytelling across genres whether it’s analyzing thrillers or exploring new trends. She continues to expand her creative horizon as she’s currently learning a new language.
