Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Phil Collins, Oasis, Sade and Wu-Tang Clan among 2026 inductees | Music
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with first-time nominees Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross.
The list was announced during the airing of American Idol in the US on Monday night. To participate in the competition, artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years ago. The nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals.
Already in the hall as a member of Genesis, soft rocker Collins released hits such as In the Air Tonight and One More Night and won eight Grammys, including album of the year for 1985’s No Jacket Required.
Soul-jazz vocalist Sade, who was also nominated in 2024, is known for her songs such as Smooth Operator and The Sweetest Taboo. Wu-Tang Clan have been lauded as rap innovators since their game-changing 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
Having previously been nominated twice, Iron Maiden helped fuel the new wave of British heavy metal with albums such as The Number of the Beast. Vandross, who sold more than 25 million albums and wrote hit songs such as Here and Now and Any Love, died in 2005 and inspired Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s song Luther.
This year the venue embraces Manchester’s sound, welcoming post-punk pioneers Joy Division and New Order – many of whom feature the same members – as well as Britpop’s recent reunion Oasis. Idol, also in English, brought a punk-style cynicism to pop with songs such as White Wedding and Rebel Yell.
The launch will take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Missing nominees this year include Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition and Shakira.
In addition to the performer category, the Hall of Fame celebrates the contributions of nominees in three special categories: early impact, musical excellence, and the Ahmet Ertegün non-performer award.
This year’s early impact category will honor Queen Latifah, Cuban singer Celia Cruz, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, rapper MC Lyte and country rocker Gram Parsons. Songwriter Linda Creed and producers Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin will be honored in the musical excellence category.
More than 50 years after his death, Ed Sullivan, the legendary host of the eponymous TV show, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame with the Ahmet Ertegun non-performing award: recognition of the Sunday night show that became the launching pad for many musical icons of the 1950s and 1960s and helped break down racial barriers in American entertainment.
