The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has officially revealed its nominees for the Class of 2026 setting off another year of debate over which artists will earn a place in music history.
On Wednesday, February 25, the Rock Hall announced 17 nominees for this year’s induction ceremony, a slightly larger group than in recent years when 14 or 15 artists were typically nominated. In total, the ballot features 17 acts, out of which ten are the first-time nominees and seven are artists who have been nominated before.
First-Time nominees (2026)
- PiNK (debut album Can’t Take Me Home- 2000)
- Lauryn Hill (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill- 1998)
- Jeff Buckley (Grace -1994)
- Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) -1993)
- Shakira (Magia – 1991)
- Melissa Etheridge (self-titled debut – 1988)
- New Edition (Candy Girl – 1983)
- Luther Vandross (Never Too Much – 1981)
- Phil Collins (Face Value – 1981)
- INXS (self-titled debut – 1980)
Returning Nominees
Third nominations:
- Mariah Carey
- Iron Maiden
- Joy Division/New Order
- Oasis
Second nominations:
- The Black Crowes
- Billy Idol
- Sade
Now comes the difficult stage of the process. According to the Rock Hall’s guidelines, To qualify for nomination, a solo artist or band must have “released their first commercial recording 25 full years before the year of Induction.”
In addition, nominees must show “musical excellence, impact, and influence.”
The final inductees are selected by an international voting panel made up of more than “1,200 Inductees, historians and members of the music industry, as well as the aggregate results of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s annual online Fan Vote, which counts as one ballot.” After all votes are counted, the seven acts receiving the highest level of support will be inducted into the Class of 2026. The final Class of 2026 will be announced in April with the induction ceremony scheduled to take place this fall.
