The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has revealed the nominees for its class of 2020. They include Nine Inch Nails, Kraftwerk, The Notorious B.I.G., Soundgarden, Depeche Mode, Motörhead, and Whitney Houston.
Other finalists include Dave Matthews Band, Rufus with Chaka Khan, T. Rex, The Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, MC5, Thin Lizzy, Todd Rundgren, and Pat Benatar.
The top five vote-getters, as determined by a group of artists, historians, and music industry members, as well as a fan vote, will be announced in January. They will then be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony held in May 2020 at the Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. HBO will broadcast the ceremony later in the year.
(Read: A Running List of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Omissions)
In order for an artist to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, their first recording must have been released at least 25 years ago or earlier. The Notorious B.I.G., Soundgarden, Motörhead, DMB, and Whitney Houston have all been nominated for the first time.
However, several previous nominees failed to make the cut in 2020, including Kate Bush, The Smiths, The Replacements, Bad Brains, and Eurythmics, among others.
The Hall of Fame will once again honor specific members of each band as opposed to the full lineup, a policy that was first introduced several years ago. As such, if NIN is enshrined, Trent Reznor will accept the honor alone. Depeche Mode’s nominated lineup consists of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher along with former members Vince Clark and Alan Wilder. Meanwhile, Soundgarden’s classic lineup of Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, and Kim Thayil is on the ballot along with original bassist Hiro Yamamoto (via Rolling Stone).
Last year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class consisted of Radiohead, The Cure, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, and The Zombies.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Nominees
Nine Inch Nails
Kraftwerk
The Notorious B.I.G.
Dave Matthews Band
Depeche Mode
Motörhead
Soundgarden
Whitney Houston
Judas Priest
MC5
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Todd Rundgren
The Doobie Brothers
T.Rex
Thin Lizzy
Pat Benatar
