Chappell Roan plans “controversial” speech if she wins at 2025 Grammys
The Grammy Awards are always a highlight of the music calendar. In 2025 especially, all eyes are on Chappell Roan, who is the favourite to take home several prizes to cap off her breakout year. However, while fans are eager to see her pick up the prizes, the organisers will now be nervous after the singer promised to stir controversy.
2024 has been a huge year for Chappell Roan. While she’s been building a cult following for several years now, with her 2023 album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess being the culmination of that, the last 12 months suddenly saw her name soar to major global prominence. Thanks to her hit single ‘Good Luck Babe’, her entire discography saw an influx of new attention, bringing album tracks like ‘Hot To Go!’ and ‘Casual’ a major wave of revived attention.
Within a year, she’s gone from selling out mid-size venues to being announced as the headliner of major festivals. Her growth seems to be at hyperspeed, but at the same time, it’s clear that the artist herself grew uncomfortable with it.
“I am allowed to say no to creepy behaviour,” she said during a viral video earlier this year when she asked fans to stop approaching her on the street. Roan has also been captured calling out rude paparazzi photographers, making it clear that she won’t simply swallow the uncomfortable drawbacks that fame comes along with as a kind of reluctant new superstar.
Her response to her Grammy nominations shows that, too. Roan is in the running for six awards, including what are considered the “big four” categories: ‘Best New Artist’, ‘Album of the Year’ for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and ‘Song and Record’ of the Year for ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ However, she might be hoping not to pick any of them up. “I’m kind of hoping I don’t win [a Grammy],” she told The Face in September, “Because then everyone will get off my ass: ‘See guys, we did it and we didn’t win, bye!’ I won’t have to do this again!”
If Roan does win, she has promised that her acceptance speech will be a memorable. During an appearance on A Carpool Karaoke Christmas with Zane Lowe, Roan said, “I don’t have a speech yet, but you know me. I’m going to say something controversial,” adding, “Why not? Girl, what do I have to lose?”
She also admitted her feelings around the ceremony are complex, stating, “It’s such a double-edged sword for me because I’m like, ‘Yes, it is a talent show for the popular kids.” However, on the flip side, she added, “But the other side is, ‘Oh my God, how amazing is it that a gay artist wrote a gay song that went number one, with a gay writer who did not grow up in the industry, did not have an in, has been busting her ass for like a decade?’”
The 2025 Grammy Awards
The 67th annual Grammys Awards will be held on February 2nd, 2025. Alongside Roan, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter and The Beatles are all in the running for the coveted ‘Record Of The Year’ prize.
Elsewhere, rock acts like The Rolling Stones, Fontaines DC, Idles, Pearl Jam and more are up for accolades in the more alternative categories.
In total, Chappell Roan has been nominated for six awards: ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Record of the Year’, ‘Best New Artist’, ‘Best Solo Pop Performance’ and ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’. Her producer, Daniel Nigro, is also nominated for ‘Producer of the Year’, in part for contributions to Roan’s work alongside his work with Olivia Rodrigo.
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