Chappell Roan lauded as she calls out record labels at Grammys over fair pay and healthcare for artists

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Chappell Roan just made her Grammy Awards debut in the most unforgettable way possible—winning Best New Artist and using her acceptance speech to call out the music industry for failing young artists.

Instead of a typical "thank you" speech, the 26-year-old pop star came prepared—pulling out a notebook and reading from a prepared speech that had the entire room at Crypto.com Arena on their feet.

Chappell Roan's powerful Grammy acceptance speech

Standing center stage in an oversized gray dress and a cone-shaped princess hat (which hilariously fell off mid-speech), Chappell Roan made it very clear that she wasn’t about to waste her moment in front of the biggest names in music.

"I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand 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 health care, especially to developing artists," the 'Pink Pony Club' hitmaker said.

The audience burst into cheers and applause as Roan continued, opening up about her own experience of being dropped by her first record label and how she struggled to survive.

"I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor. When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had … quite a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and [could not] afford insurance," she explained.

For context, Chappell Roan (real name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) was first signed to Atlantic Records in 2015 at just 17—only to be dropped in 2020. She spent years working odd jobs, including nannying and production assistant gigs — just to make ends meet while still chasing her dreams.

"It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized. If my label had prioritized it, I could have been provided care for a company I was giving everything to," the 26-year-old added. 

"Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection," she asserted, before asking, "Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”

Fans laud Chappell Roan for using her platform to try to make things better for others

Social media lit up immediately as fans showered praise on Chappell Roan for using her platform to stand up for struggling artists. 

One wrote, "She ATE with that speech," and another said, "You can really tell she’s grateful to even be there & im glad she’s using her platform for good." 

"She wins her first grammy and the first thing she does is try to make things better for others! SHES AMAZING," a person gushed.

"No shade but there’s several celebs that could take lessons from her on how to actually stand up for causes they claim to believe in," another comment read. 

"Chappell isn’t just calling out labels, but also reminding us how many powerful artists stay silent and forget where they came from. It’s a call to action for everyone in the industry, not just the suits," one more offered. 

An individual expressed, "Music wouldn’t exist without artists, yet so many struggle just to get by. Chappell Roan said what needed to be said—labels, it’s time to do better." 

Chappell Roan's journey: From industry struggles to Grammy glory

Chappell Roan's rise to fame has been far from an overnight success story.

After being dropped by Atlantic in 2020, she kept going as an independent artist—until 2023, when she signed with Amusement Records, an imprint of Island Records, created by her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro.

That same year, she released her studio debut album, 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess', which put her on the map as one of pop music's most exciting new voices.

At the 2025 Grammys, Chappell took home the Best New Artist award, beating out the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Shaboozey, and Benson Boone, among others. 

Earlier in the night, Roan stole the show with a campy, over-the-top performance of 'Pink Pony Club'—complete with a giant pink horse, rodeo clowns, and head-to-toe sparkles. Dressed in bedazzled cowboy boots and fringe, she gave the performance of a lifetime, belting out her ode to LA gay clubs as the audience sang along to every word, as reported by Variety.

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