Chappell Roan wins Grammy, calling record labels over health insurance

Chappell Roan won the best new artist at Grammys and used his speech to hold record companies responsible.

After thanking her friends, family and team, “Good luck, honey!” Singer said, “I said to myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry that take advantage of millions of dollars out of Artists, would offer a fully salary and health care, especially developing artists. “

When the Los Angeles audience broke into cheer and applause, Roan added, “I was signed so young I was signed as a minor. When I was dropped, I had zero job experience under the belt and like most people I had … a pretty difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and (couldn’t) afford insurance. ”

“It was devastating to feel so engaged in my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized,” Roan continued. “If my label had prioritized it, I could have been given the care of a company I gave everything to. Record labels have to treat their artists as valuable employees with a fully salary and health insurance and protection. ”

She ended her victory speech by asking, “Labels, we got you, but do you have us?”

Roan, 26, started his career as a teenager and uploaded songs to YouTube under the name Kayleigh Rose. She was signed by Atlantic Records in 2015, but the label dropped her by 2020. In 2023, Roan signed with Dan Nigo’s independent imprinting registries, and she released her debut album “The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess” in partnership with Iceland Poster.

Black has reached the big record companies for comment.

Earlier in the night, Roan performed his song “Pink Pony Club” from the top of a giant pink horse. Flanked by an army of rodeo clowns, Roan (in Bedazzled Cowboy boots and lots of fringes) belt ode to La gay clubs as the audience sang with.