The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s new Class of 2026 was announced on American Idol on Monday night (Apr. 13), and as always, the list of inducted artists — as well as the list of artists still left on the outside looking in — makes for a fascinating look at where the Rock Hall voting bloc’s priorities currently lie.
The eight artists who are to be inducted as performers this year are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan — with Collins now a two-time inductee, having previously been entered as a member of prog-rock reverse-supergroup Genesis. Meanwhile, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah and MC Lyte will also be entered via the early influence award, along with Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin as music excellence award honorees and Ed Sullivan as the Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient.
Meanwhile, nominated for 2026 but not inducted are New Edition, P!nk, INXS, The Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Melissa Etheridge and Mariah Carey. While Oasis, Iron Maiden and Joy Division/New Order all get in on their third nomination this year, Carey is left as one of just a dozen artists who have been nominated for the Rock Hall at least three times but still have not been inducted as a performer.
What do the list of inductees and snubs tell us about what the Rock Hall is thinking in 2026? Here are five quick takeaways we had following the Monday announcement.
