The power of award show speeches

During her acceptance speech for Best New Artist in the 2025 Grammys, Chappell Roan asked, “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” while putting her award down to turn the page of her notebook. Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, best known by her stage name Chappell Roan, was nominated for six categories in the 2025 Grammys, despite having released her first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, back in 2023. As she mentioned at length in her speech, she was first signed to a record label in 2015 when she was a minor. Not only because she set foot in the music industry at such a young age without any experience, but also because she lacked support from her surroundings, Chappell Roan has only now achieved the status of pop culture icon (despite the fact that she has been in the industry for more than 10 years).

At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Roan was dropped by Atlantic Records, forcing her to move back to Missouri. Notably, Atlantic Records refused to release her now hit song ‘Pink Pony Club’ because, according to Rolling Stone, “the entire industry floundered during the pandemic,” making it increasingly difficult for even big recording labels to enhance a new artist’s voice during this period. Luckily, Dan Nigro – known for his work with Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray – believed in Roan and made sure her experience would be different this time. Nigro valued mutual respect and creative freedom, and ensured that enough funding was offered to support Roan’s art. In light of that, Roan’s experience with the recording labels highlights the importance of support, both mental and physical, during an artist’s rise to fame.

Standing in front of some of the biggest names in the music industry, Chappell Roan turned her award show speech into a call to action by expressing her struggles

Standing in front of some of the biggest names in the music industry, Chappell Roan turned her award show speech into a call to action by expressing her struggles. This was something clearly challenging, proven by a slightly shaky voice, but by mentioning her own experiences in a seemingly dysfunctional industry, she was able to use her words to remind the authorities of this major error in the system: that the music industry and recording labels do not provide any healthcare or support, especially to aspiring artists.

However, to what extent can we consider Jeff Rabhan’s argument to be correct? That “she should do something about it—rather than just talk at it. Change is waiting to be championed, not just announced.” Rabhan criticises Roan for not taking action towards the goal, missing the main point of this protest. Roan recently partnered with the non-profit organization Backline, which aims to provide “mental health and wellness resources for music industry professionals and their families”. By talking openly about her own struggles regarding being dehumanised in the industry and expressing the destruction this issue causes in new emerging artists, Roan has paved the way for the change within her speech. Her words, therefore, have not only become the starting point for change in the system, but also initiated other artists to show support for her argument.

Sympathetic looks hinting at mutual understanding from artists like Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter were caught on the camera during Roan’s speech. Alongside these names, Noah Kahan and Charli XCX also showed support towards Roan’s initiative ‘We Got You’ and donated $25,000 each. Thus, it can be argued that Roan used her award show speech, which took place in front of the most powerful names in the music industry and almost 12,000 jury members of the Recording Academy, in a suitable way and planted the seeds for her next moves as an artist. This leads one to think about Rabhan’s critique, as his harsh tone not only takes a side against Roan’s argument but also her identity.

Was [ Roan ] perhaps faced with such harsh criticism because of the ongoing misogyny embedded into this industry?

Roan is publicly known for her queer identity and a style that is heavily inspired by drag. She also uses her songs and lyrics as a medium to explore her identity, self-expression and inclusivity. Rabhan, seen in his response to Halsey and Roan in a tweet, paints himself as a teacher and a guide for these women. His tone and word choices are perceived as an opposition towards not only Roan’s attempt to change the corrupted system, but also towards her own artistic choices. So, was she perhaps faced with such harsh criticism because of the ongoing misogyny embedded in this industry?

Even though there are other examples of artists using their award show speeches to initiate a change in the system, Roan’s recent take could be considered as something of a first, as she not only shared her own struggles but also directly used her platform to challenge the music industry. In light of that, Roan used her speech in a very meaningful and important way, shifting the balance of the industry. She did not express her goal in a superficial way and instead, in Rabhan’s terms, “put her money where her mouth is”, proving the power of the award show speeches.