The list of 16 nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2021 Induction has been announced. Among the 16 nominees are some of rock’s top dogs, including Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, the Go-Go’s, Rage Against the Machine, Devo, New York Dolls and Todd Rundgren.
Kate Bush, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Carole King and Mary J. Blige are also in the running, with Jay-Z, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J and Dionne Warwick completing the list of nominees. The artists who receive the top votes will be announced in May, with an induction ceremony taking place in Cleveland later this Autumn.
To be considered eligible for nomination for such a prestigious award, artists must be within a 25-year ruling. Therefore, nominees need their first single, or album, to have been released in 1995 or earlier. Foo Fighters, the Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Carole King, Fela Kuti, and Dionne Warwick, who make up just under half of the list, are appearing for the first time.
Foo Fighters frontman, Dave Grohl and “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Tina Turner have already been inducted from their time with Nirvana and Ike Turner, respectively. However, Grohl’s band Foo Fighters, along with Jay-Z, are the only nominees this year to appear on the ballot in their first year of eligibility.
With last year’s awards being completed virtually and shown on HBO, a decision has yet been made on how this year’s ceremony will proceed. Inductees for the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame included Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex and The Notorious B.I.G.
Ballots of nominees are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. Fans may also participate by voting on the website, or at the Museum in Cleveland.
The top five artists, selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be registered along with the other ballots to select the 2021 Inductees. The Fan Vote is also officially open, enabling fans to vote for up to 5 nominees daily, until April 30th.
