The Brief
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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced 18 inductees across its categories, headlined by eight performers: first-time nominees Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan, alongside repeat nominees Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, and Sade.
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The Early Influence Award honored Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, MC Lyte, Gram Parsons, and Queen Latifah, while Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller, and Rick Rubin received the Musical Excellence Award.
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Television host Ed Sullivan was awarded the Ahmet Ertegun Award for nonperforming industry professionals, recognized for giving over 10,000 artists a national platform on “The Ed Sullivan Show” from the late 1940s into the early 1970s.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced 18 inductees for 2026 on Saturday, celebrating performers, early influencers and one non-musician credited for giving legendary musicians their critical first exposures.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
What we know
A total of 18 inductees were announced in three primary categories:
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The performer category includes Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross, Wu-Tang Clan
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The Early Influence Award honored Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, MC Lyte, Gram Parsons and Queen Latifah.
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Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin received the Musical Excellence Award.
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The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — went to Ed Sullivan, credited for having a profound impact on rock and roll music and American culture through his weekly “Ed Sullivan Show,” which gave over 10,000 artists a stage to reach a national audience.
Dig deeper
Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan are first-time nominees. Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, and Sade have all been nominated in the past.
Here is a sampling of some of this year’s inductees:
Collins, one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, has sold more than 150 million records worldwide as both a solo artist and a member of Genesis. He joined Genesis in 1970, becoming the band’s lead singer in 1975 when Peter Gabriel departed. At the same time, he launched a solo career to become one of the world’s biggest stars with hits like “In the Air Tonight,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Against All Odds” and “Take Me Home.”
Billy Idol is credited for bringing the look and sound of punk rock to the masses. From a seminal part of the London scene, he became a household name in the U.S. in the 1980s with hits like “White Wedding,” and “Hot in the City,” “Eyes Without a Face” and “Flesh for Fantasy.”
Iron Maiden members Blaze Bayley, Clive Burr, Paul Di’Anno, Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers, Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Dennis Stratton created the blueprint for the look and sound of heavy metal bands, the Hall of Fame said. The British band released seven albums thought the 1980s that made them one of rock’s biggest bands. Their hits included “Running Free,” “The Number of the Beast,” “2 Minutes to Midnight,” and “Wasted Years.”
Vandross, considered a defining voice of his generation, he created some of the era’s most enduring love songs. His 1981 debut album, “Never Too Much,” helped propel him into stardom as he crossed over into the pop charts, worked as a producer for Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Diana Ross and continued polishing his skills as an interpreter in songs like “Superstar” and “Endless Love.” He died in 2005 at age 54.
Wu-Tang Clan helped redefine what a hip-hop group could be: A collection f rappers, a modern pop culture mythology , an artistic brand and a musical powerhouse, the Hall of Fame said. Their unique business model allowed individual members like RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna, to sign solo deals with different laves while remaining part of the collective, which the Hall of Fame said permanently changed how artists negotiated power and ownership.
Grammy-winner, award-winning actress, producer, record label president, author and style icon Queen Latifah is an original female superstar from hip-hop’s golden age, credited as a pioneering artist who was the genre’s “first feminist,” and has broken down barriers for women in the entertainment industry. Her music includes “Fly Girl,” “Latifah’s Had It Up 2 Here,” “Paper,” “It’s Alright” and “Big, Blonde and Beautiful.” She received an Oscar nomination for her role in the film “Chicago,” a first for female hip-hop artists.
Big picture view
To be eligible for induction, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
“Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music’s highest honor. We look forward to celebrating these remarkable artists at this year’s ceremony – it’s going to be an unforgettable night”, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chairman John Sykes said.
The Source
Information for this story came from the biographies shared by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This story was reported from Orlando.
