The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, with one of its most widely genre-spanning lists of contenders ever:
The Black Crowes Jeff Buckley Mariah Carey Phil Collins Melissa Etheridge Lauryn Hill Billy Idol INXS Iron Maiden Joy Division/New Order New Edition Oasis Pink Sade Shakira Luther Vandross Wu-Tang Clan
The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.
The seven returning to the ballot after previous tries at getting elected are the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade.
If that seems like a large crop of nominees, it is. For 2025, the total number of contenders stood at 14, three fewer than this year’s roster.
Of the seven returning to the ballot, five were on it just last year and make an instant return: the Black Crowes, Carey, Idol, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall when his band was previously twice nominated, but the nominating committee did not hold his recalcitrance against him this year.
The third time being nominated could be the charm for four of the artists: Carey, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The three second-time nominees, meanwhile, are the Black Crowes, Idol and Sade. The Hall is not going back into its ancient history to find return nominees: All of the prior nominations for all of these artists occurred since 2021.
Pink is the only artist being nominated in her first year of eligibility; her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” came out in 2000.
This year’s list has what some might consider a recency bias, relatively speaking. All of the 10 first-time nominees having debuted on the scene in the 1980s, 1990s or, as with Pink, 2000, despite the annual cries from fans of older rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s that their favorites are still overdue.
Collins is the only 2026 contender who already has a spot in the Rock Hall, having been inducted as a member of Genesis.
Buckley is the rare artist getting a shot at being elected on the basis of releasing only one album in his lifetime. “Grace” came out in 1994; the singer/songwriter died in 1997.
Those who can be counted on to complain every year that the Hall should limit itself to actual rock ‘n’ roll will have plenty to gripe about this year, although others will be grateful for the wide gamut of genres spanned. Only roughly half of the 17 nominees would be considered “rock” per se: the Crowes, Buckley, Etheridge, Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis… with Collins perhaps straddling the line as a recognized superstar of pop, apart from his duties in the rock band Genesis. That leaves plenty of room in this crop for a sizable representation of pop, with Pink, Carey, and Latin-pop crossover favorite Shakira, and R&B and/or hip-hop, with Hill, New Edition, Vandross and Wu Tang in the mix.
(Although the Hall strives to be inclusive of different contemporary genres, one wildly popular genre that is not represented among these nominees, again, is country; Dolly Parton remains the only country figure inducted in the last 23 years.)
The vote will take place over the next two months, with those selected by the Hall’s 1,200 voters revealed in April. At that time, further Inductees will also be named who are entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non Performer Award.
From March 10 through 29, the beloved Sanrio characters — including icons like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Keroppi, Pompompurin, Pochacco and Kuromi — will arrive in the game with themed minigames, collectibles and customizable style tokens.
In the fun-filled collaboration, players can experience minigames like Partners, Treasures (Dig), Racers and Deluxe Drop, all of which are designed with Sanrio’s signature whimsy. In Partners, players can team up with friends to earn points and build Hello Kitty-themes attractions; Treasures is a digging minigame; Racers will allow gamers to roll dice to power themed cars on colorful tracks.
Themed collectibles will also be available in honor of the collaboration, with items like Hello Kitty and Friends sticker sets, themed in-game tokens and shields, dice and emojis.
Created, developed and published by leading video game company Scopely in partnership with Hasbro, “Monopoly Go!” has been downloaded more than 250 million times.
“Our players have a deep love for Hello Kitty and her friends, and that passion inspired our teams to approach this collaboration with incredible care,” Scopely president of games Victor Diaz-Roig said. “From our fan-favorite mini-games to striking visual details, our developers hand-crafted every part of this experience to honor the optimism and kindness of Hello Kitty and Friends within the charming ‘Monopoly Go!’ universe, creating something truly special and full of surprises for our players.”
“Friendship and bringing people together has always been at the heart of what we do, and we’re excited to see that spirit come to life through our beloved characters in ‘Monopoly Go!,’” Sanrio senior vice president of brand Jill Koch said. “This collaboration gives fans around the world a fun new way to connect through the characters they love and experience the joy and positivity that Hello Kitty and her friends have represented for generations.”
Watch the teaser for the “Monopoly Go” crossover with Hello Kitty and Friends below.
The German government is set to hold an “extraordinary meeting” over the “future direction” of the Berlinale, the festival has confirmed.
In a statement sent to Variety, the Berlinale said that the federal government commissioner for culture and the media (BKM) had informed the festival that “on Thursday morning there will be an extraordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board of KBB GmbH at the initiative of State Minister Wolfram Weimer. Weimer is the Chair of the Supervisory Board. The meeting will include a discussion on the future direction of the Berlinale.”
It added: “We will not comment on any further speculation.”
The news comes following a 2026 Berlinale that was largely overshadowed by political backlash and reports in German tabloid newspaper Bild on Wednesday that Tricia Tuttle was on her way out as festival head after two years in the job.
The festival faced sharp criticism this year that arose over the unwillingness of prominent attendees to discuss politics and accusations that it itself was seeking to censor political talk.
On the opening day of the festival and faced with questions about the conflict in Gaza, jury head Wim Wenders said, “We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics,” prompting immediate backlash on social media and later a high-profile open letter criticizing the Berlinale for its “silence” over Gaza.
However, the controversy swung the other way on the closing night on Saturday, where several prize-winners used their acceptance speeches to voice support for Palestine and Gaza. German Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider reportedly walked out of the ceremony after Palestinian director Abdallah Al-Khatib — who won the top Perspectives section for his film “Chronicles From the Siege” — accused the German government of “being partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel”.
The festival was later forced to respond to claims by German politicians that the speeches were “unacceptable”, “antisemitic” and “malicious” in their tone. “According to our understanding, everything that was said on Saturday, was within the bounds of free speech laws in Germany,” the festival said in response to Variety‘s sister publication Deadline.
Speaking to Variety during festival, Tuttle acknowledged that the festival was “like a lightning rod for political controversy.” She added: “That’s very tiring. It’s just really hard — and so important — to make sure that the filmmakers get the cut-through and it is a challenge when that becomes the only thing that we talk about.”
The man responsible for the death of the original singer of the Dixie Chicks in a Texas crash has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter.
Laura Lynch, the co-founder of the band now known as the Chicks, died on Dec. 22, 2023, when her truck was struck head-on by a truck driven by Domenick Chavez, who was said be going between 106-114 mph as he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-lane highway.
Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in a Texas court and will spend 15 years in prison, according to a statement from the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The news was reported locally by KFOX 14 and other Texas media outlets.
Bass player Lynch (pictured center, above) founded the Dixie Chicks with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer (née Erwin) in 1989. Lynch and Macy shared lead vocal duties until Macy’s departure in 1993, at which point Lynch became the sole frontwoman as the trio rose in popularity as a regional favorite in Texas. Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines in 2005.
Said El Paso District Attorney James Montoya in a statement: “The death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music. It is a loss made more acute by the fact that it happened just days before Christmas. Our office will continue to hold accountable those defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.”
Chavez was not determined to be driving drunk on the night of the crash, but he was driving with a suspended license after two prior DWI convictions. He was able to escape from his truck with non-life-threatening injuries as it erupted in flames, but Lynch was trapped in her vehicle and died on the scene.
Chicks members Maines, Strayer and Maguire issued a joint statement on Lynch’s death after the 2023 crash. “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of the Chicks,” they wrote. “We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light… her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band. Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West.”
The Dixie Chicks recorded three independent albums with Lynch on lead vocals before she left the group: “Thank Heavens for Dale Evans” (1990), “Little Ol’ Cowgirl” (1992) and “Shouldn’t a Told You That” (1993). The direction of the group was very different in its pre-Maines incarnation, focusing on bluegrass, retro-country and a cowgirl image.
The same year Lynch was let go from the band, she reconnected with her high school sweetheart and future husband, rancher Mac Tull, who had reportedly recently won $26.8 million in a lottery, and they wed in 1997.
In a 1995 interview with the society columnist of the Dallas Morning News, Lynch made it clear that the exit had not been her idea, although she was accepting of it.
“It can’t really be characterized as a resignation,” she told the newspaper. “There are three Dixie Chicks, and I’m only one.” Noting that she was 37 at the time, whereas the two sisters in the group were 23 and 25, Lynch wryly noted, “The group’s called the Dixie Chicks… When I was out there on the road having a bad day, it was awfully hard to be a Chick.” She added, “I have a 14-year-old daughter, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her.”
In a 2003 interview, Lynch Tull told the Associated Press that she had no regrets about not becoming famous along with the rest of the group in the late ’90s, and that she looked back fondly on her tenure with the original lineup, even though it had been hard on her health. “It was worth it,” she said. “I’d get anemic all over again to do it.”
Egyptian multihyphenate Mohamed Ramadan — who last year became the first artist from Egypt to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — has signed with rhe William Morris Endeavor Agency for worldwide representation in all areas.
Ramadan, 37, who is based in Cairo, is widely known across the Middle East as a superstar of film and TV, singer, rapper and producer. He has a combined social media following of more than 85 million worldwide, 34 million of which are on Instagram.
In June 2020, Ramadan became the first Egyptian artist to receive YouTube’s Diamond Creator Award after his YouTube channel surpassed 10 million subscribers. His videos have now accumulated more than 6 billion views on the platform.
In the film sphere, Ramadan will next be seen in a leading role inspired by the Ancient Rome rebel slave Spartacus in the Arabic epic “Lion” from Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, who helmed Marvel’s “Moon Knight.”
Ramadan’s career started in Egyptian films and TV series, including popular 2006 show “The Cinderella” and prominent auteur Yousry Nasrallah’s hit feminist drama “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” (2009). Thriller “Abdu Mota” (2012) and two-part action-adventure film series “The Treasure” and “The Treasure 2” (2017, 2019) are among other movie standouts
He also raised his stardom level across the Arab world by playing the lead in other hit TV dramas such as “Ibn Halal” (2014); “Al Ostoura” (2016), in which he has a double role; and “Jaafar Al Omda” (2023).
Ramadan, who has starred in more than 45 Egyptian movies and TV series, has received Egypt’s “Greatest Nationwide Talent” award three consecutive times. He’s also been awarded the prestigious Murex d’Or award for best Arab actor.
In his parallel music career, Ramadan blends Arabic pop, hip-hop and Afro-influenced sounds. His 2020 single “Ya Habibi,” a collaboration with French-Congolese rapper Gims, became a major hit across the Middle East and Africa, topping the charts in 15 countries and establishing him as a major new artist from the region. Ramadan also released several other hit tracks, including “Number One” (2018); “Mafia” (2019), for which he won the top prize at the AFRIMA (All Africa Music Awards); “Bum Bum” (2020); and more recently, the June 2025 single “Ana Enta.” He has collaborated with international artists including Rema, Future and French Montana.
Most recently, he teamed with Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the U.S. president and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, on a new single titled “Sah Sah.” If the pairing feels unexpected, that’s because it is, marking one of the more unusual cross-cultural collaborations to surface in recent pop memory.
The news comes days after Idris helped launch the new Formula 1 season by appearing in the new “All To Drive For” campaign which he appears in with all 22 drivers.
Idris co-starred in the “F1” movie last year alongside Brad Pitt. In the film, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former driver who is forced out of retirement to help a losing F1 racing team. Sonny must mentor and partner with rookie driver Joshua Pearce, played by Idris. Director Joseph Kosinski and his crew filmed at live Grand Prix races around the world with Formula 1’s full collaboration.
The movie grossed more than $630 million at the box office and is the most successful sports movie of all time.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Damson Idris officially to the Formula 1 family. Following his starring role in ‘F1: The Movie,’ which made history at the box office and helped bring our sport to new audiences, he is joining us as an official Global Brand Ambassador. In Formula 1, we are all about authenticity and Damson is passionate about the sport and shares our vision to grow it, so it’s fantastic that we’ll continue to work with him. With his incredible platform and position in the entertainment and lifestyle space, together we will push the boundaries of how we reach fans.”
Idris added, “I’ve always been drawn to spaces where culture, performance, and precision meet, and Formula 1 sits right at the centre of that. I had an enormous amount of respect for it before making the film, but getting closer to it gave me a real understanding of the innovation, the heart, and the intensity behind everything, and the elite level the drivers operate at. I’m genuinely excited to step into this role as a Global Ambassador. Being part of this world now means a lot to me, and I’m proud to represent something that inspires and connects people all over the world.”
As Global Brand Ambassador, Idris will act as a bridge between the world of Formula 1 and the wider cultural and entertainment landscape. He will attend several Grands Prix and support F1 in various content, partner and wider promotional activities to introduce a new wave of fans into the sport.
The sport continues to grow at a rapid rate with over 827 million fans, of which 43% are under 35 and 42% are female.
These days, any drama with the U.K.’s Sheridan Smith raises expectations, especially if her role is written by Tony Schumacher, creator of “The Responder.”
Winner of a BAFTA TV Award for “Mrs Biggs” (2013) and TV Choice Award for “Cilla” (2015), Smith was also the star of last year’s “I Fought the Law.” “No one does this kind of drama better than Sheridan Smith. Ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances are what she does, and few do it better,” said The Guardian in a review.
Smith is also a master of mixed emotion reaction, such as resolution and vulnerability. She’s likely to show both in “The Cage,” which reteams Schumacher with Fremantle and unites him with Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe’s high-flying and creator-friendly Element Pictures, a Fremantle company.
Commissioned by Director of BBC drama Lindsay Salt for BBCiPlayer and BBC One with global sales handled by Fremantle, “The Cage” is shaping up as one the big unveils at Fremantle’s Feb. 27 showcase at the London TV Screenings.
Chosen by Variety as one of the Screenings’ Hot Picks, it also now has new first look images, shared in exclusivity with Variety.
Smith stars opposite Michael Socha (“The Gallows Pole,” “Showtrial”) another striking actor discovered and cast like “Adolescence” star Stephen Graham in “This is England” by Shane Meadows.
In “The Cage,” Smith and Socha play Leannie and Matty, a single mum and compulsive gambler who skim cash from the safe of their Liverpool Casino, soon with the mob and police closing down
Expect a taut crime drama – “high-stakes and high-energy,” says Fremantle – which will stand out from the pack by its nuanced performances, a story of “two unforgettable characters” as Fremantle puts it, and its heart, through it mix of crime thriller and family drama: Leannie, a single mother, turns to her amateur heists to avoid losing her family flat, Mattie to get some money to his daughter as child maintenance, despite his chronic gambling. “One final heist becomes their last chance for escape – because in ‘The Cage,’ everyone’s gambling,” the series’ synopsis ends.
Majority owned by Fremantle from 2022, Element Pictures is behind Yorgos Lanthimos’ four-time Oscar winner “Poor Things,” as well as multiple Lenny Abrahamson titles such as “Room,” a best actress Academy Award winner for Brie Larson and his major TV hit “Normal People.”
“The Cage” is directed by Al Mackay (“Kidnapped,” “Without Sin”) and shot in and around Liverpool and Merseyside in the U.K.
Hilary Martin serves as executive producer for Fremantle, with Aird, Guiney and Lowe for Element Pictures, alongside Schumacher and Smith. Lucy Richer is the executive producer for the BBC, with Clare Shepherd as producer.
In the build-up to Fremantle’s Friday showcase, Aird,Element Pictures head of TV, and Fremantle’s Rebecca Dundon, SVP, head of scripted content, talked to Variety about what marks “The Cage” apart in an age where buyers are looking for crime dramas more than any other program type but want series that bring something fresh to the table.
When “The Cage” was announced, you are quoted, Chris, as saying “Tony writes characters from the heart that break your heart.” Is that connected to what you add: That “The Cage” is “a crime show” but also “a show about family”?
Chris Aird: That’s exactly what Tony does. This show is hopefully an exciting crime story with the stakes of crime stories. People are breaking the law and cutting across other people’s interests. What marks Tony’s writing out, however, is that you really feel why these people are forced into doing what they do and their very real problems in their lives. Leanne is very worried that she’s going to lose the [family] flat; Mattie is a terrible addict and forever in hock to his moneylender.
Rebecca Dundon: Tony and Element have created amazing flawed underdog characters that are instantly likeable and charismatic. “The Cage” is a crime heist thriller with great characters who aren’t evil people, just trying to survive and make a better life. In the world today, people are often looking for their own escape, to get themselves out of these situations and you really are instantly with them. But this is all wrapped up in a propulsive, twisty-turny surprising show that really throws the crime genre on its head by giving you characters that you want to win, despite being on the other side of the law.
And this is what drew you to the story?
Dundon: Definitely. From an international perspective, it’s so important that you have characters that surprise and stories that feel fresh in genres that work. Crime is going to continue be a bedrock for many platforms, many buyers. It’s what most people enjoy. But we never want to offer something that someone’s seen before. Tony’s writing and this show will surprise audiences and bring new audiences to the crime genre, because it’s got heart, levity and high stakes.
You have two of the finest performers in British TV. How was the casting process?
Dundon: They’re magnetic. That’s the best word for them. They pull and push against one another throughout the series and draw the audience in. What the team have done so well with casting here is that they’ve really made sure that the chemistry between those protagonists is paramount. You have to be able to have that banter between them, the ability to champion one another as well when they feel like they’ve lost everything.
Liverpool has a large presence in the series but I wonder if this isn’t only as a setting but in terms of actors having a confidence in the authenticity of their performance, of hitting the right beats because Tony, from Liverpool, would tell them if they didn’t. Could you comment?
Aird: That’s interesting and I think you’re right. Everyone who is involved in this show, from Tony downwards, were really invested in making a show partly about Liverpool and about that kind of slightly intangible thing, but you know it when you feel it. Both Sheridan and Michael also really keyed into it. It is about humanity. It’s about vulnerability. It’s about also warmth and humor in the face of adversity. It’s all these things. Interestingly, neither Sheridan nor Michael are actually from Liverpool, but Sheridan does a very, very good Scouse accent. They’re both from the north of England. And they both said they
tap into that.
As actors, they are very good at small physical details….
Aird: Yes, what’s great about this show is we can keep it feeling real and authentic, because actually we don’t need huge, high concept things to happen because it is about that character response to the real. How would you really cope with being up against one of the city’s most dangerous gangsters? How would that actually feel? Rather than a pat kind of genre way of approaching it, you really understand the hot water that they get themselves into because they both feel so real.
Dundon: Touching on authenticity, Liverpool is authentic, real but with a really exciting colour palette that feels unusual and that we haven’t seen on screen. It just opens the whole world up, which we feel is going to make a real difference internationally, because it’s Liverpool like we haven’t seen before. Director Al Mackay has done an incredible job in creating that intimacy of performance, but with this beautiful kind of backdrop.
Aird: Al and Árni Filippusson, our DP, made a decision really early on that they wanted to light up this world and use a kind of directional light. And we shot this in Spring last year and it literally didn’t rain for four months: The whole show is suffused in bright, warm sunlight.
More people are talking about the value of authenticity than they used to. I wonder if that’s a reaction to the large amount of non-authenticity in the world….
Aird: That’s really interesting. I’d say that we’re crying out for human connection not mediated by little boxes on screens. And I think that a show like ‘The Cage’ is all about human connection. It’s about the people you work with, the people you live with, your family. I would hope that this is the kind of show that people might watch together as well. I think we are crying out for that at the moment: that authenticity of character as well as a cracking good story too.
How does the show fit into your production strategies?
Dundon: With regards to Fremantle’s distribution arm, we’re always looking for strong crime series, commercial dramas that are going to cut through, make noise, surprise us but be in a familiar genre that people enjoy, that they want to sit down with their partners, that can speak to a number of different platforms and buyers, whether that’s the public broadcasters whom we absolutely adore or the streamers. “The Cage” is that in spades.
Working with great, great creatives is also part of both your strategies…
Dundon: For us, it’s absolutely a bonus for us that it’s an Element show and have Tony come back after the success of “The Responder,” a huge international hit for us. Buyers are actively following what he’s going to do next because they love his tone of voice, and the fact that he’s bringing it to life in a surprising way and in a very different way to what we’ve seen him do before is a real honor for us.
Aird: You’re absolutely right. “The Cage” fits into Element’s strategy which is to support the very best creative voices in the business, whether they’re filmmakers or screenwriters. We’re always trying to do that. On the film side, we work with the likes of Yorgos Lanthimos and Lenny Abrahamson and Joanna Hogg. Now on the TV side as well, we’re hoping to expand on that.
Chris Aird, Element Pictures, Rebecca Dundon, Fremantle
Jimmy Kimmel eviscerated Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address during his Tuesday late-night monologue, summarizing his feelings on the president’s 108-minute “rambling” speech by quipping: “I have to say, Trump’s dementia really makes me miss Joe Biden’s dementia. It was a much friendlier dementia.”
The late-night host was especially appalled over Trump’s accusation that Somali residents in Minnesota are “plundering America.” Trump urged attendees to stand up if they agreed that “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” and yet he failed to mention how government-backed ICE agents were responsible for the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota earlier this year.
“You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up!” Trump said to the Democrats who remained seated. “These people are crazy, I’m telling you, they’re crazy.”
Kimmel fired back during his monologue: “Here’s the real State of the Union, OK? We have a nutjob wannabe king who’s doing everything he can to censor opinions he doesn’t want to hear. He has his goons arresting, incarcerating and killing American citizens. He’s cut funding for cancer research and children’s hospitals while he rakes in literally billions of dollars for himself and his family. He’s coming after our right to vote. He’s protecting pedophiles and won’t explain it. He’s lining the pockets of billionaires, all while neglecting the sick, the poor, the hungry. In the name of Jesus, by the way, who you could read all about in a Donald Trump edition of the ‘God Bless the USA Bible’ that is made in China and available for $99.99. That is the State of the Union.”
“When you ramble mostly incoherently for two hours, is that technically still a speech or does it at some point become a conniption thing?” Kimmel later quipped.
Kimmel regularly uses his late-night monologue to condemn Trump’s actions. He roasted the president earlier this month for complaining about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Half Time show not being predominantly in English by saying: “This is a man who paid off a porn star who spanked him with his own face on a magazine.”
Watch Kimmel’s latest monologue in the video below.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, with one of its most widely genre-spanning lists of contenders ever:
The Black Crowes Jeff Buckley Mariah Carey Phil Collins Melissa Etheridge Lauryn Hill Billy Idol INXS Iron Maiden Joy Division/New Order New Edition Oasis Pink Sade Shakira Luther Vandross Wu-Tang Clan
The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.
The seven returning to the ballot after previous tries at getting elected are the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade.
If that seems like a large crop of nominees, it is. For 2025, the total number of contenders stood at 14, three fewer than this year’s roster.
Of the seven returning to the ballot, five were on it just last year and make an instant return: the Black Crowes, Carey, Idol, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall when his band was previously twice nominated, but the nominating committee did not hold his recalcitrance against him this year.
The third time being nominated could be the charm for four of the artists: Carey, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The three second-time nominees, meanwhile, are the Black Crowes, Idol and Sade. The Hall is not going back into its ancient history to find return nominees: All of the prior nominations for all of these artists occurred since 2021.
Pink is the only artist being nominated in her first year of eligibility; her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” came out in 2000.
This year’s list has what some might consider a recency bias, relatively speaking. All of the 10 first-time nominees having debuted on the scene in the 1980s, 1990s or, as with Pink, 2000, despite the annual cries from fans of older rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s that their favorites are still overdue.
Collins is the only 2026 contender who already has a spot in the Rock Hall, having been inducted as a member of Genesis.
Buckley is the rare artist getting a shot at being elected on the basis of releasing only one album in his lifetime. “Grace” came out in 1994; the singer/songwriter died in 1997.
Those who can be counted on to complain every year that the Hall should limit itself to actual rock ‘n’ roll will have plenty to gripe about this year, although others will be grateful for the wide gamut of genres spanned. Only roughly half of the 17 nominees would be considered “rock” per se: the Crowes, Buckley, Etheridge, Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis… with Collins perhaps straddling the line as a recognized superstar of pop, apart from his duties in the rock band Genesis. That leaves plenty of room in this crop for a sizable representation of pop, with Pink, Carey, and Latin-pop crossover favorite Shakira, and R&B and/or hip-hop, with Hill, New Edition, Vandross and Wu Tang in the mix.
(Although the Hall strives to be inclusive of different contemporary genres, one wildly popular genre that is not represented among these nominees, again, is country; Dolly Parton remains the only country figure inducted in the last 23 years.)
The vote will take place over the next two months, with those selected by the Hall’s 1,200 voters revealed in April. At that time, further Inductees will also be named who are entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non Performer Award.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, with one of its most widely genre-spanning lists of contenders ever:
The Black Crowes Jeff Buckley Mariah Carey Phil Collins Melissa Etheridge Lauryn Hill Billy Idol INXS Iron Maiden Joy Division/New Order New Edition Oasis Pink Sade Shakira Luther Vandross Wu-Tang Clan
The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.
The seven returning to the ballot after previous tries at getting elected are the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade.
If that seems like a large crop of nominees, it is. For 2025, the total number of contenders stood at 14, three fewer than this year’s roster.
Of the seven returning to the ballot, five were on it just last year and make an instant return: the Black Crowes, Carey, Idol, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall when his band was previously twice nominated, but the nominating committee did not hold his recalcitrance against him this year.
The third time being nominated could be the charm for four of the artists: Carey, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The three second-time nominees, meanwhile, are the Black Crowes, Idol and Sade. The Hall is not going back into its ancient history to find return nominees: All of the prior nominations for all of these artists occurred since 2021.
Pink is the only artist being nominated in her first year of eligibility; her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” came out in 2000.
This year’s list has what some might consider a recency bias, relatively speaking. All of the 10 first-time nominees having debuted on the scene in the 1980s, 1990s or, as with Pink, 2000, despite the annual cries from fans of older rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s that their favorites are still overdue.
Collins is the only 2026 contender who already has a spot in the Rock Hall, having been inducted as a member of Genesis.
Buckley is the rare artist getting a shot at being elected on the basis of releasing only one album in his lifetime. “Grace” came out in 1994; the singer/songwriter died in 1997.
Those who can be counted on to complain every year that the Hall should limit itself to actual rock ‘n’ roll will have plenty to gripe about this year, although others will be grateful for the wide gamut of genres spanned. Only roughly half of the 17 nominees would be considered “rock” per se: the Crowes, Buckley, Etheridge, Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis… with Collins perhaps straddling the line as a recognized superstar of pop, apart from his duties in the rock band Genesis. That leaves plenty of room in this crop for a sizable representation of pop, with Pink, Carey, and Latin-pop crossover favorite Shakira, and R&B and/or hip-hop, with Hill, New Edition, Vandross and Wu Tang in the mix.
(Although the Hall strives to be inclusive of different contemporary genres, one wildly popular genre that is not represented among these nominees, again, is country; Dolly Parton remains the only country figure inducted in the last 23 years.)
The vote will take place over the next two months, with those selected by the Hall’s 1,200 voters revealed in April. At that time, further Inductees will also be named who are entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non Performer Award.
