Women Dominate Rock Hall 2021 Nominees

Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden lead this year’s historic list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, reports cleveland.com.

The Class of 2021 will be inducted during a ceremony held in Cleveland at a yet-to-be-determined date and venue this fall. Joining the aforementioned acts on the ballot are Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, The Go-Go’s, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, Todd Rundgren and Dionne Warwick.

It marks the most female-heavy ballot the Rock Hall has ever produced with seven of the 16 acts being led by women. These 2021 nominations are also the most racially diverse in 15 years.

“This remarkable ballot reflects the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates,” said John Sykes, Chairman of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, in a statement. “These Nominees have left an indelible impact on the sonic landscape of the world and influenced countless artists that have followed them.”

Artists are eligible for a nomination 25 years after the release of their first official recording. The 2021 ballot features two newly eligible acts in Jay-Z and Foo Fighters. Other acts nominated for the first time (while having to wait much longer) include Blige, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Warwick and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is looking to earn his second induction into the Rock Hall, having already gotten in with Nirvana in 2014. The same goes for Carole King, who was inducted as a non-performer/songwriter in 1990, and Turner, who earned induction as part of Ike & Tina Turner in 1991. King and Turner could join Stevie Nicks (2019) as the only women to be inducted into the Rock Hall twice.

Notably missing out on nominations this year were Kraftwerk, nominated six times since 2003, and Dave Matthews Band and Pat Benatar, who finished in the top two in the 2020 Fan Vote. Speaking of which, fans can have their say via the annual online poll until April 30 by visiting rockhall.com. The top five artists from the Fan Vote will comprise one “fan’s ballot” tallied along with more than 1,000 other ballots from musicians, historians and music industry members.

The Rock Hall’s Class of 2021 will be announced in May. Ticket information for the fall ceremony will be announced at a later date.