For me, the beginning of 2025 has marked a time of great fear and uncertainty. As a Canadian, I’m anxiously awaiting to see if we do or don’t end up trapped in a confusing and unnecessary trade war with our neighbours, doing my best not to listen to the floods of social media posts promoting the #51stState, recommended to me on platforms owned by billionaires who attended a certain president’s neat inauguration in a neat row.
I worry about what the rise of hate speech means for me and my loved ones. It’s hard not to feel helpless as minorities, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and the students and professors that surround me are senselessly attacked in the media, as hateful rhetoric is continuously pushed to me on Instagram when I’m just trying to see my friend’s film photos and funny cat videos. I’ve even started avoiding the news when I know it’s going to make me feel worse, which is a terrible thing to admit as a journalism student.
Fast forward to something you can’t miss if you listen to mainstream musicians and are about nineteen years old like me: the Grammys. The funniest part is that I didn’t even get to watch them live; I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday. While there, we refreshed our results every once in a while. We laughed about Kendrick Lamar racking up enough wins for “Not Like Us” alone that resulted in Drake reemerging to the public eye in a sweater torn up by bullet holes, celebrated Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Doechii’s awards as they were announced, and made fun of Jaden Smith’s outfit. When I got home that night and crawled into bed for my nightly doomscrolling, I saw so many incredible clips that made me mentally note that I simply HAD to rewatch the event the next day, even if this meant free-trialling a Prime subscription on top of my preexistent Prime subscription that still wasn’t enough.
However, beyond the glamour and celebration of the event, something else stuck out to me between incredible performances and speeches. Many of the artists present (and winning!) took the opportunity to speak out against the hatred for marginalized communities fueled by the Trump administration and uplift these same voices that have felt so threatened in 2025.
That being said, here’s a breakdown of all the key advocacy moments from artists at the 2025 Grammy Awards and some of my thoughts on how these actions are impactful and necessary for the kind of incredible music and expression celebrated at the Grammys to thrive.
Chappell Roan
It’s impossible not to begin this article by discussing Chappell Roan, but no surprise that she isn’t hesitating to speak up about what matters to her. She alone took full advantage of the ceremony to speak out at least three times: on the Red Carpet, on the stage, and after receiving the award for Best New Artist.
On the carpet, the Midwest Princess used one of her interviews to speak up about the fearmongering and oppressive legislation against transgender people in the United States and beyond. “It’s brutal right now, but trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist, and they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away, and that has to be protected more than anything,” said Roan. “I would not be here without trans girls. So, just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you. And I’m trying my best to stand up for you in every way I can.”
“Trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist, and they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away.”
Chappell Roan, 2025 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
One of the best parts of the drag artist’s rise to fame was her unapologetic self-expression and refusal to change her opinions and what she stands for to accommodate the industry.
Many of the songs on her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, are centered around her experience as a lesbian growing up in a small town in America and center around themes of authenticity, self-acceptance, and celebrating your identity. No song encapsulates this better than “Pink Pony Club,” which Roan chose to perform at the awards show that night, complete with a sparkly sequined look, a giant titular pink pony, and background dancers dressed as clowns.
But the moment that stuck out to me the most was the raising of three coloured flags at the end of her performance, as dancers coordinated pink, white, and blue flags, forming the same colours as the trans pride flag.
Finally, when Roan won Best New Artist, she used her speech to advocate for better protections and support from the music industry for smaller musicians. “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy…I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” said the artist.
She detailed her experiences as a struggling artist when she was unceremoniously dropped by her label after being signed as a minor, struggling to make a living wage and left with no health insurance.
“It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have [healthcare]”
Chappell Roan, 2025 Grammy Awards Acceptance Speech for Best New Artist
Her words had many artists in the crowd standing and applauding, and have since been praised by many other artists, despite some unhappy music executives attempting to shame her for standing up for an artist’s protections. We’ll get back to this later, as other big names have defended and praised Roan’s speech, which has clearly opened up a larger and very necessary discussion in the music industry.
Doechii
Doechii’s 2023 debut mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal got the recognition it deserved at the awards ceremony as the artist took home a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Her performance, a mash-up of the album’s songs “Catfish” and “Denial Is A River,” was iconic on its own, as Doechii incorporated various new instruments into the performance (I think I heard trumpets followed by an electric guitar?!) that upped the dramatics perfectly for the Grammys stage. Doechii’s creative director described how, despite Doechii being supported by background dancers wearing the same suit as her, “there is only one real Doechii.”
However, it was Doechii’s speech itself that served as a reminder as to how powerful her artistry and her success are right now as she recounted that before her, only two women had won in the Best Rap Album category: Lauryn Hill and Cardi B. “I put my heart and my soul into this mixtape, I bore my life, I went through so much, I dedicated myself to sobriety, and God told me that I would be rewarded and he would show me just how good it can get,” the artist said tearfully, before taking the end of her speech to speak to the Black women and girls watching her.
“I know there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there that are watching me right now and I wanna tell you, you can do it. Anything is possible,” said Doechii. “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony.”
“Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here…You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony.”
Doechii, 2025 Grammy Awards Acceptance Speech for Best Rap Album
Charli XCX & the continuing conversation around music industry issues
After coining the iconic “Brat Summer” to a point where industries and companies were desperately trying to market everything they produced to consumers as “brat,” it came as no surprise to me when I heard that Charli XCX had won Grammys even before the show had technically began.
The singer, who took home three awards for Best Recording Package, Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Dance Pop Recording, performed two hits of the album “Von dutch” and “Guess”, joined by artists, influencers, and models including trans models Alex Consani and Richie Shazam as well as “Guess” producer The Dare and Quen Blackwell.
The entourage of young, diverse artists perfectly simulates the atmosphere of a club onstage and dancing provocatively and like no one was watching despite a whole crowd in front of them celebrating the album’s themes of being yourself, even if that comes with messiness or occasionally saying something dumb. The provocative, shameless performance created the same atmosphere that had swept 2024 away with brat, to begin with, and into a world where the differences that politicians are currently trying to use against us are not only accepted but celebrated.
Admittedly, it’s a bit of a shame that this is so much to ask for in 2025, but as social media platforms bend the knee to the Trump administration and censor more and more marginalized voices, performances like these that don’t need words to speak to what they challenge, such as Chappell Roan’s need to be acknowledged for what they do for the culture.
Speaking of Chappell Roan, her words to the music industry were quick to create controversy as music executive Jeff Rabhan wrote an opinion piece for the Hollywood Reporter that attacked Roan’s speech, essentially calling her too young to know what she was talking about and telling her to “put her money where her mouth is.”
Chappell Roan was quick to respond, calling out Rabhan’s article in an Instagram story and challenging him to match her $25,000 to donate to struggling dropped artists. This is where Charli XCX returns to the scene, also posting on Instagram in support of Roan, stating that she donated $25,000 and that her money IS where her mouth is.
Seeing two of the past year’s biggest names in music call out a music executive’s hypocrisy in a very messy (very brat?) way without hiding behind anything is admittedly inspiring. To me, this is the kind of bravery that celebrities need to continue to have against larger, seemingly more powerful industries and entities, especially as the White House bullies celebrities like Selena Gomez for expressing grief over ICE raids targeting Hispanic children in America.
speeches from Alicia Keys, Shakira, and lady gaga
Many more Grammy winners took the time that night to dedicate their speeches to vulnerable communities. Alicia Keys won the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award and used her time onstage to talk about the challenges of being a woman in the music industry and dedicate her win to “all the ladies that know the magic that they bring to the room.”
Keys then turned her attention to the current political climate, condemning the Trump administration’s destructive actions against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the US.
“This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices. We’ve seen on this stage talented, hard-working people from different backgrounds, with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift- and the more voices, the more powerful the sound,” said Keys. “When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix. And as you see tonight, music is the unstoppable language that connects us all – it’s so beautiful.”
“DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift- and the more voices, the more powerful the sound.”
Alicia Keys, 2025 Grammy Awards Acceptance Speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award
Shakira, who won Best Latin Pop Album for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran dedicated her award to all of her “immigrant brothers and sisters” in the US.
“You are loved, you are worth it, and I will always fight with you,” said the singer. “And to all of those women who work hard every day to provide for their families, you are the true she-wolves. So this is for you, too.”
Lady Gaga, who won Best Pop Duo with Bruno Mars for “Die With A Smile” used her speech to recognize the privilege of being able to create music before taking the time to speak up in support of transgender individuals.
“Trans people are not invisible,” said Gaga. “Trans people deserve love; the queer community deserves to be lifted. Music is love. Thank you.”
the meaning of Moments like these in a larger landscape
As I turn away from an awards ceremony to look at the world before me today, I can’t help but think of the juxtaposition of the political climate and the speeches and actions of these big names in the music industry and what they mean for the future. The truth is, I don’t know. Will all artists be personally attacked and called out like Gomez? Or were the Grammys truly a night representing unity as they present themselves to be?
This article from The Vulture Craig Jenkins thought that the Grammys were a little too feel-good for the current political situation we are facing, and maybe he’s right. The voices mentioned here are few and far between the rest of the Awards Ceremony night, but the reality is they are the ones we are talking about the most.
Even the wins of artists like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar symbolized something. Beyoncé won two Grammys for her album Cowboy Carter, making history as the first black woman to win Album Of The Year this century and the first Black woman to ever win Best Country Album. This article by TIME points out that she “didn’t ask for permission to make a country album. She didn’t campaign for inclusion. She simply delivered an undeniable masterpiece that forced the world to recognize her.”
Kendrick Lamar, who just performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, won Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year, all for “Not Like Us.” Beyond symbolizing a terrible night for Drake, the Grammys recognizing the cultural impact of the song since its release and the entire room shouting out “A minor!” before Lamar took the stage also means recognizing a diss track that condemns a celebrity’s (allegedly) predatory actions and their taking advantage of other celebrities like a “culture vulture.” His Super Bowl halftime performance was also filled with references many speculate were directly against Trump and his new administration.
Art, to me, is a sort of visual philosophy that is created through the observation of our reality, nature, and existence. A great deal of art is inherently political or created in political circumstances. It’s motivated by something bigger than the artist- the message they want to share.
You don’t become a successful, household-name artist by doing the same thing as everyone else. Kendrick Lamar, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Charli XCX, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé are as acclaimed as they are for breaking the mould, daring to do something new and stepping outside of the box. Their willingness to speak out about the issues we face is already a part of their brand- doing what people are afraid to.
The Grammys celebrated women, people of colour, queerness, immigrants, and many of the other marginalized communities that the new American government is trying to demonize and divide by attacking the concept of DEI with misinformation and fearmongering. While the future feels uncertain for cultures and communities not only in the US but across the world, these artists taking the Grammys by storm and speaking out as they did serves as a small but reassuring reminder that we aren’t as divided as we think.
