Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Unveils 2026 Nominees: Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Wu-Tang Clan, The Black Crowes, Lauryn Hill and More
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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the nominees for its Class of 2026. 17 massive acts are listed as candidates this year, including first-time nods for Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill and Wu-Tang Clan. Not all of them will make the final cut; if history serves as an example, just under half will be enshrined among music’s greatest names
Eight of the artists under consideration this year are new to the ballot: The iconic late alt-rock singer-songwriter Buckley, Genesis (Hall of Fame inductees) frontman and prog-pop innovator Collins, neo-soul and hip-hop pioneer Lauryn Hill, legendary hard-core hip-hop squad the Wu-Tang Clan, roots-rock torchbearer Melissa Etheridge, R&B boy band New Edition, Australian new wave giants INXS, pop stars P!NK and Shakira and storied soulsinger Luther Vandross.
The other artists up for the honor in 2026 include The Black Crowes and Billy Idol, who were nominated for the first time in 2025; Iron Maiden and Sade, who have been nominated before but were not present on last year’s ballot; and rollover candidates Mariah Carey, Oasis and Joy Division/New Order, the latter of whom share an entry and are said by the Hall to have “created something revolutionary and massively influential, not once, but twice.”
“This diverse list of talented nominees recognizes the ever-evolving faces and sounds of Rock & Roll and its continued impact on youth culture”, said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music’s highest honor and we look forward to celebrating the Class of 2026 this Fall.”
Nominees will be selected for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by its international panel of 1,200 artists and music industry experts. Among those submissions, a single fan ballot will compile votes from onlookers at home. While fans are invited to select up to seven artists from the roster each day through April 3, winning the fan vote is by no means a lock for entry into the Hall; last year, Phish became only the second of 13 bands to lead the ballot (with 330,000 votes) and not secure a place in the final roster. Like Dave Matthews Band before them in 2020, the Vermont quartet has not returned to the ballot in the year after the upset.
Learn more about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2026 nominees at rockhall.com.
