A Rh-catalyzed chelation-assisted C6-selective C–Hactivation/alkylation of 2-pyridones with readily available alkyl carboxylic acids or anhydrides is introduced. The reaction proceeds via substrate decarbonylation. This approach merges C–H functionalization with readily available anhydrides, allowing for the efficient synthesis of various C6-alkylated 2-pyridones with good functional group tolerance