Rising artist Chappell Roan has challenged former music executive Jeff Rabhan to match her $25,000 donation to struggling dropped artists, following his critical op-ed about her 2025 Grammy Awards acceptance speech.

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

After winning Best New Artist at the Grammys, Roan used her platform to advocate for better artist compensation and healthcare benefits in the music industry. Rabhan responded with an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter, criticizing her perspective as "naive" and "uninformed."

Roan took to Instagram Stories to challenge Rabhan, stating: "Mr. Rabhan, I love how you said 'put your money where your mouth is.' Genius! Let's link and build together and see if you can do the same." She pledged to donate $25,000 to support dropped artists and promised to share proof of the donations.

The singer also highlighted several emerging artists she believes deserve more recognition, 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 journalism.

According to SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, while major labels do offer health insurance through the National Code of Fair Practice for Sound Recordings, many developing artists struggle to meet eligibility requirements due to insufficient income.

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