The 2026 nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced on Wednesday, February 25. This year, 17 artists have been nominated in the Performer category. They are: Billy Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Jeff Buckley, Joy Division/New Order, Lauryn Hill, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, New Edition, Oasis, Pink, Phil Collins, Sade, Shakira, The Black Crowes, and Wu-Tang Clan.
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A few of the nominated artists have issued statements reacting to the honor, including The Black Crowes and Melissa Etheridge.
[RELATED: 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced]
The Black Crowes were nominated for the second time in 2026, having received their first nod last year. The band’s frontman, Chris Robinson, who co-founded and leads the group with his brother Rich, posted a message on their social media pages.
“Rich and I are beyond excited and thrilled to be nominated again for the R&RHOF,” the note reads. “It’s a great honor to be included with such talented artists.”
Meanwhile, Etheridge, who is a first-time nominee, shared a video message on her own socials.
“Oh my goodness, [I] just found out I was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” she said in the clip. “I’m completely just delighted. … I’m very honored. This is a Rock & Roll Hall that is undefinable. We’ve been trying, and I’m really proud to be considered to be a part of that group of crazy rock-and-roll misfits. I’m just extremely happy. … Really excited, really happy to share this with you.”
More About the 2026 Rock Hall Nominees
Besides Etheridge, nine of the other artists in the running for induction have been nominated for the first time. They are INXS, Buckley, Hill, Vandross, New Edition, Pink, Collins, Shakira, and Wu-Tang Clan. Collins was previously inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of Genesis in 2010.
Buckley and Vandross are posthumous nominees, having died, respectively, in 1997 and 2005. In addition, some key members of the nominated bands also have passed away, including INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, and Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
The 2026 inductees in the Performer category will be announced in April. Also at that time, additional honorees will be revealed for the following categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence, and the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Award.
This year’s ceremony will be held in the fall in Cleveland. The specific date and venue, as well as information about purchasing tickets, will be announced soon.
More About the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions
Each year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts a selection of artists and bands that become eligible for nomination 25 years after releasing their first commercial recording.
According to the Rock Hall, voting for the 2026 inductees will be conducted by a ballot that’s distributed to an international panel of more than 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include an artist’s “impact on music culture, influence on other musicians that have followed, as well as the scope and longevity of their career and body of work.”
As part of the induction selection process, fans can vote for their favorite nominees online through April 3 at vote.rockhall.com. Voting is limited to seven picks at a time, once daily. Once voting is closed, the top five artists selected by the public will make up a “fans’ ballot.” That ballot will be tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2026 inductees.
(Courtesy of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
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