Chappell Roan Dares Music Executive to Match Her $25K Donation to Struggling Artists
Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan has challenged former music executive Jeff Rabhan to match her $25,000 donation to support dropped artists, following his critical op-ed about her Grammy acceptance speech.
Chappell Roan performing on concert stage
Photo Credit: Chappell Roan by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0
The exchange began after Roan's Best New Artist acceptance speech at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where she called for music labels to provide livable wages and healthcare to developing artists. Rabhan, former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, responded with an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter criticizing her stance as "naive" and "uninformed."
Through Instagram Stories, Roan directly challenged Rabhan: "Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?" She promised to share donation receipts and highlighted several emerging artists she believes deserve more support, including Sarah Kinsley, Devon Again, hemlocke springs, and Baby Storme.
The controversy has drawn support from other industry figures, including Halsey, who criticized both Rabhan and The Hollywood Reporter for publishing what she called a "personal attack disguised as critical journalism."
According to SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, while major labels do offer health insurance options through the National Code of Fair Practice for Sound Recordings, many developing artists struggle to meet the income eligibility requirements.
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