Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan has challenged former music executive Jeff Rabhan to match her $25,000 donation to struggling musicians after he criticized her Grammy acceptance speech in a controversial op-ed.

Photo Credit: Chappell Roan by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0

The dispute began when Roan, who won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards, used her acceptance speech to advocate for better artist compensation and healthcare benefits from record labels. In response, Rabhan, former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, published an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter criticizing her stance as "naive" and "uninformed."

Roan took to Instagram to challenge Rabhan directly, stating: "Mr. Rabhan, I love how you said 'put your money where your mouth is.' Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?" She promised to share proof of donations and highlighted several emerging artists who "deserve more love and a bigger platform."

The controversy has drawn support for Roan from other industry figures, including Halsey, who criticized both Rabhan and The Hollywood Reporter for 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 eligibility requirements due to insufficient income.

Roan has committed to keeping her followers updated on Rabhan's response and providing transparency about the donations.

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