Chappell Roan took home the Best New Artist award at the 2025 Grammy Awards, beating out fellow nominees, including Sabrina Carpenter, known for her hit Please Please Please. Overwhelmed with emotion, Roan accepted her first-ever Grammy, making a powerful statement about the treatment of artists in the music industry. Dressed in her signature drag-inspired makeup and a striking yellow cone hat, she stood on stage and called for record labels to pay musicians a livable wage.
“I told myself that if I ever 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 offer a livable wage,” Roan declared. She shared her personal struggles, recounting how she was signed to a record label as a minor, only to be later dropped, leaving her without health insurance. “We (music artists) got you, but do you got us?” she asked, addressing the industry directly.
Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, the Missouri native has had a remarkable journey to success. Nominated in six Grammy categories this year, including Song of the Year for Good Luck, Babe!,” Roan’s rise to fame was anything but conventional. She gained recognition through a series of independent singles, including her breakout disco power-pop track Pink Pony Club. The song, originally released in 2020, only gained widespread attention four years later, drawing inspiration from her experience visiting The Abbey, a well-known LGBTQ+ bar in West Hollywood, California.
Roan’s signature blend of 1980s pop, disco, and techno influences has helped her develop a devoted following. Her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess earned her a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and propelled her into the mainstream. In 2024, she performed at sold-out festivals, including Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Lollapalooza, while also opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour.
Her journey began with an audition for America’s Got Talent, where she was not selected. Undeterred, she turned to YouTube in 2013, covering songs to build her audience. By 2015, she signed with Atlantic Records after performing her original song “Die Young” at industry showcases.
At 26 years old, Roan is not only an artist but also an advocate. As an openly queer musician, she explores themes of LGBTQ+ rights, feminism, and drag culture in her work. Winning Best New Artist has historically signaled a bright future, with past winners including Adele in 2009 and Dua Lipa in 2019. With her bold artistry and fearless activism, Chappell Roan is well on her way to becoming one of pop music’s most influential voices.
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