Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Inductees: Wu-Tang Clan, Oasis Among Diverse Class

Nine influential artists spanning multiple genres will join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, with the 2026 class announced during a special broadcast of “American Idol” on Monday night.

Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order will all be enshrined in the prestigious institution. First-time nominees Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross round out this year’s diverse inductee group.

The selection process involved over 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals who cast votes for nominees who released their first commercial recording at least 25 years ago.

For Phil Collins, the honor marks his second induction, having previously entered the Hall as a member of Genesis. The soft rock icon, known for hits like “In the Air Tonight” and “One More Night,” has amassed eight Grammy Awards during his illustrious career, including album of the year in 1985 for “No Jacket Required.” Collins earned induction on his first appearance on the ballot.

British heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden finally received the call after being nominated twice before. The band, fronted by Bruce Dickinson, helped define the new wave of British heavy metal with landmark albums like “The Number of the Beast,” influencing countless hard rock and metal acts that followed.

The induction of Wu-Tang Clan acknowledges the Staten Island collective’s revolutionary impact on hip-hop. Since their groundbreaking 1993 debut “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” the group—featuring RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and others—has been credited with transforming rap music through their innovative production, lyrical complexity, and business acumen.

Luther Vandross, who died in 2005, receives posthumous recognition for his silky smooth vocals that dominated R&B charts with hits like “Here and Now” and “Any Love.” The singer, who sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, continues to influence contemporary artists, as evidenced by Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s tribute track “Luther.”

This year’s class notably features several British acts, including Manchester’s post-punk pioneers Joy Division and New Order—essentially the same group following the death of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis—along with recently reunited Britpop sensations Oasis, led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. Billy Idol, another English inductee, brought punk attitude to pop music with anthems like “White Wedding” and “Rebel Yell.”

Soul-jazz vocalist Sade, nominated for the first time in 2024, enters the Hall on the strength of sophisticated hits like “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo” that defined an elegant crossover sound in the 1980s and beyond.

Beyond the performer category, several artists will receive special recognition. The Early Influence Award will honor Queen Latifah, Cuban icon Celia Cruz, Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, hip-hop trailblazer MC Lyte, and country-rock innovator Gram Parsons. The Musical Excellence Award recognizes songwriter Linda Creed and influential producers Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller, and Rick Rubin.

Television legend Ed Sullivan will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Award, acknowledging how his Sunday night variety show served as a crucial platform for virtually every significant musical act of the 1950s and ’60s while helping break racial barriers in American entertainment.

Notable nominees who missed induction this year include Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition, and Shakira.

The induction ceremony will take place November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with a television broadcast airing on ABC and Disney+ in December. The event will return to the Hall’s home city of Cleveland in 2027.

Last year’s inductees included Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Soundgarden, Joe Cocker, Salt-N-Pepa, The White Stripes, and several others.