Each year, the Grammy Awards honor musicians across its biggest categories like Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Best New Artist as well as more niche awards across different genre categories including pop and electronic, R&B, country, jazz and Latin. It is an evening for artists to come together to not only celebrate their art, but also the process of making music.
While she was among the stars naming nominees for the upcoming ceremony, it was just last year that Chappell attended her first ceremony and nabbed Best New Artist. The 27-year-old’s rise to success in 2024 appeared meteoric, but she had been grinding for years, and used her speech to shed light on how much the hustle for smaller artists can cost.
“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music,” Chappell shared during her speech, “I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists, would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.”
Chappell’s words earned her standing ovation from other nominees present including fellow breakout Benson Boone and Taylor Swift.
Indeed, while the evening is a great homage to new musicians each year, it is also just as important for seasoned veterans of the industry. Last year’s ceremony saw a huge feat from Beyoncé for her genre-bending Cowboy Carter, which won the “Crazy in Love” singer—who holds the record for the most Grammy Awards with 35—an award for Country Album of the Year, making her the first Black woman to do so, as well as her first Album of the Year win.
“I just feel very full and very honored,” the 44-year-old said in her acceptance speech for Album of the Year. “It’s been many, many years. I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every producer, all of the hard work.”
The “16 Carriages” singer dedicated her award to famed country music star Linda Martell, adding, “I hope we keep pushing forward, opening doors.”
To see all the musicians react to the latest honor, keep reading…
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