The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has dropped its most electrifying and genre-defying nominee list in years. Seventeen artists — spanning rap, heavy metal, R&B, Britpop, blues rock, and pop — are now in the running for the coveted class of 2026. The nominees include Phil Collins, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Iron Maiden, Luther Vandross, and the Wu-Tang Clan, a lineup that reads more like a greatest hits playlist than a ballot.
A Star-Studded and Surprising Ballot
Revealed on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, the full list also features Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition, and Sade. Two fan-favorite returning nominees — Billy Idol and Joy Division/New Order — are back after narrowly missing induction last year. Adding even more drama to the mix are The Black Crowes and Oasis, two bands whose famously turbulent brotherly feuds and recent reunions have kept them perpetually in the headlines.
This year, ten of the 17 nominees appear on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot for the very first time— Buckley, Collins, Etheridge, Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Vandross, and the Wu-Tang Clan. That figure alone signals a significant generational shift in how the institution defines rock and its cultural reach.
Legendary Careers Behind the Nominees
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2026 features artists with staggering credentials. Phil Collins, the drumming titan behind Genesis, claimed eight Grammy Awards, including album of the year in 1985 for No Jacket Required. Lauryn Hill rewrote history when The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill became the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for album of the year in 1999.
Mariah Carey, nominated for the third time, holds a remarkable 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The Wu-Tang Clan forever changed rap with their seismic 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang. INXS ruled the late 1980s with unstoppable energy, while Iron Maiden helped birth the new wave of British heavy metal through landmark releases like The Number of the Beast. Sade charmed the world with her silky compositions, and Shakira fused Latin rhythms with rock and pop in ways few artists ever dared.
Luther Vandross, who sold more than 25 million albums before his passing in 2005, is a long-overdue first-time nominee. Jeff Buckley, whose 1994 debut Grace remains one of the most critically worshipped albums in rock history, is also on the ballot for the first time since his tragic death in 1997.
Celebrating Diversity in Rock and Roll
John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, described the lineup as a recognition of the ever-evolving faces and sounds of rock and its continued impact on youth culture. The sentiment rings especially true for a ballot that bridges generations and genres with remarkable fluidity.
Pink, who has scored four No. 1 songs and three No. 1 albums including The Truth About Love, has long been a defiant and powerful voice in pop-rock. New Edition, whose classic hits helped lay the groundwork for modern R&B boy bands, and Etheridge, a two-time Grammy winner whose raw emotional ballads became anthems, round out a nominee pool that feels genuinely inclusive.
How the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Process Works
To qualify for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an artist must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. From there, a voting body of more than 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals determines the inductees, ensuring the process reflects a broad and informed perspective.
The inductees for the class of 2026 will be formally announced in April, alongside those entering through special committee categories, namely Musical Influence, Musical Excellence, and the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Award. The ceremony is expected to be one of the most talked-about nights in music.
Looking Back at Last Year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class
The 2025 inductees offered their own brand of diversity and star power, with Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Soundgarden, Joe Cocker, Salt-N-Pepa, and The White Stripes all earning their spots in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That class set the tone for an institution no longer confined to guitar-driven rock, and the 2026 nominees suggest the trend is only accelerating.
With a ballot this wide-ranging and culturally significant, the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cycle feels less like an awards process and more like a long-overdue celebration of everything music has become. Fans have until April to weigh in — and the stakes have never felt higher.
