The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled its list of nominees for 2026, which includes a diverse range of artists spanning various genres like rap, metal, R&B, hip-hop, Britpop, blues rock, and pop. Among the 17 performer nominees are Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Iron Maiden, Luther Vandross, and Shakira.
Notable additions to the list this year are Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition, Sade, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Returning to the nominations after missing out last year are Billy Idol and Joy Division/New Order. The list also features two sets of musical brothers, The Black Crowes and Oasis, known for their public feuds and recent reunions.
Phil Collins, known for hits like “In the Air Tonight” and “One More Night,” has won eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in 1985 for “No Jacket Required.” Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” made history by becoming the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1999.
Mariah Carey, a third-time nominee, has achieved 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Sade, also a nominee in 2024, is known for soft-rock hits such as “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo.” The Wu-Tang Clan, known for their groundbreaking debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” in 1993, have been recognized as rap innovators.
INXS dominated the late-1980s charts with hits like “Need You Tonight,” “Devil Inside,” and “New Sensation.” Melissa Etheridge, a two-time Grammy winner, is best known for songs like “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One.” Iron Maiden played a significant role in the new wave of British heavy metal with iconic albums like “The Number of the Beast.”
Other nominees include New Edition with hits like “Cool It Now” and “Candy Girl,” Shakira for her fusion of Latin music with rock and pop, and Pink with four No. 1 songs and three No. 1 albums, including “The Truth About Love.”
Out of the 17 nominees, ten are on the ballot for the first time, including Jeff Buckley, Luther Vandross, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Vandross, known for hits like “Here and Now” and “Any Love,” passed away in 2005, while Jeff Buckley, acclaimed for his 1994 debut album “Grace,” died in 1997.
John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, highlighted the diversity of the nominees, acknowledging the evolving faces and sounds of rock and roll and its impact on youth culture.
The inductees for 2026 will be announced in April, along with those entering the hall under special committee categories: musical influence, musical excellence, and the Ahmet Ertegun non-performer award. Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to being eligible for induction. The nominees will be voted on by a panel of over 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals.
In the previous year, artists such as Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, and others were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
