The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its class of 2020 this morning, and it’s been made official that Trent Reznor will be inducted for his work with Nine Inch Nails. While the alternative icon once suggested that he would rather not receive this honor, when the call actually came Reznor was over the moon.
“I’m pretty freaked out,” he told Rolling Stone. “I’m quite in shock. When I look back at how Nine Inch Nails are received, it always seems like we fall between the cracks. I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, but I just assumed we’d stay in that category, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see us acknowledged.”
This excitement shows Reznor’s evolving perspective. As recently as 2017, he said, “The worst would be if we did [get inducted], and then what? We’d have to fuckin’ show up and jam? I can’t even imagine what that would be.”
(Read: 10 Nine Inch Nails Songs That Freaked Your Parents Out)
But after participating in The Cure’s induction last year, Reznor saw things differently. “It ended up being a pretty cool experience and I thought, ‘Alright, it doesn’t feel as bullshit as I kind of snarkily dismissed it as.’ I don’t have any problem admitting I’ve changed my opinion about something,” the frontman explained.
And now that Reznor will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame himself? “It feels pretty good… I’m allowing myself, for a limited period of time, to feel good about this,” he commented.
This morning Reznor sent out a statement of gratitude to the voting body and congratulations to his fellow inductees, especially Depeche Mode,
“A sincere THANK YOU goes out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting body – it always feels great to be recognized for your artistic efforts and I am honored. Many congratulations to this year’s fellow inductees (DM finally!) – see you back in Cleveland where it all began for me!”
According to Reznor, a new Nine Inch Nails album and tour are coming in 2020. It will be the band’s tenth record and first since 2018’s Bad Witch.
Reznor has also been busy doing film and television work with NIN bandmate Atticus Ross, most recently composing a trilogy of scores for HBO’s Watchmen. He also wrote the score for Birdbox, but apparently that was “a fucking waste of time.” Next up, Reznor and Ross are teaming with David Fincher once again to score the new film Mank.
