Just two weeks after Chappell Roan’s Grammys speech highlighted mental health in the music world, Universal Music Group teamed up with Music Health Alliance to create a new fund for mental health support.
This fund promises to offer top-notch outpatient mental health services across the country for those in the music business, even if they’ve left it behind. It’s mostly about giving guidance and resources but also includes grants to help cover expenses.
Previously, these two groups had joined forces to provide free and private healthcare resources for UMG artists through another program. In her speech at the Grammys when she won Best New Artist, Roan shared how hard it was to pay for healthcare after her label dropped her in 2020. She challenged record labels making millions from artists to provide fair pay and healthcare, especially for newcomers. “Labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection,” she said. “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
We think it’s important that musicians feel supported by their labels.
Music mogul Jeff Rabhan wrote an article in The Hollywood Reporter, arguing that labels shouldn’t be responsible for what Roan suggested because they lack the ability or obligation to make such changes. He even told Roan she should back up her words with action. So she did—pledging $25,000 to help new artists—and others like Charli XCX and Noah Kahan pitched in too! Ariana Grande also voiced on Marc Maron’s podcast that young artists’ contracts should include free therapy sessions.
