After Chappell Roan Calls For Livable Wages & Healthcare For Artists In Grammy Acceptance Speech, Fans Applaud Her Courage

Chappell Roan made a bold statement at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards after winning Best New Artist. She used her moment in the spotlight to advocate for record labels’ better treatment of musicians.

“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 in the industry, profiting millions of dollars off of artists, would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” Roan declared as the audience erupted in applause.

The “HOT TO GO!” singer, born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, spoke from personal experience, explaining how she was signed to a label as a minor but left without job experience when she was dropped. “Like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance,” she added.

Reading from her signature yellow journal, she continued, “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system, and so dehumanized to not have help… If my label would have prioritized artist health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”

She ended with a direct challenge: “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”

Roan won the award over fellow nominees Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims. Earlier in her speech, she praised her competitors and gave a special shoutout to Charli XCX’s Grammy-winning album Brat, calling it the “best night of my life this year.”

The singer also performed her hit “Pink Pony Club” at the ceremony but had a minor wardrobe malfunction during her speech when her large pointed hat began slipping off. Laughing it off, she said, “My hat’s going to fall, it’s going to be okay.”

Fans and fellow musicians were quick to jump on social media to praise Roan’s speech. “Chappell Roan wins a Grammy and calls out the entire system and demands labels to provide a livable wage and health insurance,” one fan wrote. “God, I love her so much and how she refuses to conform to the industry. No one does it like her.”

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+ on February 2.