Confirmed in an exclusive statement to Billboard, manager Rod Smallwood said the band “made it very clear to the R&R HoF that the fans always come first and that the shows will of course go on.”

Iron Maiden has been eligible for the Rock Hall honor since 2005 and have been nominated twice over the years. The band will finally be inducted in 2026, but they will not be there to accept the honor. 

The news comes after comments from frontman Bruce Dickinson critiquing the Rock Hall. During a Q&A on his spoken word tour in 2018, a fan asked Dickinson if he thought Iron Maiden should be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Dickinson said “absolutely” but added that be believes “the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks.” 

But the band has emphasized the duty to their fans in skipping the ceremony. Earlier this week, in the post acknowledging the induction, Smallwood wrote, “Iron Maiden have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades.” But he also wrote that “it’s always nice to be recognised and honoured for any achievements within the music industry too!” 

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Smallwood pointed out that it “seems appropriate for the band to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year as [they] continue [their] 50th anniversary celebrations with our Run For Your Lives World Tour.” 

Highlights from the Run For Your Lives World Tour include their headline show in Knebworth which they have dubbed “EddFest” after the band’s mascot, Eddie. They will be supported at the July 11 show by The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne and The Almighty. 

The Australia/New Zealand leg of the tour begins on November 7 at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. They’ll be supported on the run by Megadeath. Iron Maiden head to Australia on November 11 at the Adelaide Entertainment Center and continue there until November 19. It will be the band’s eighth tour of Australia and New Zealand. And in the statement to Billboard, Smallwood assured that these shows “will remain unaffected” by the date conflict with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 

Other Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 inductees include New Order/Joy Division, Oasis, Sade, Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross.

Peter Hook, bassist of New Order, confirmed he’ll be attending in a thank-you video to fans after the induction announcement. He dedicated the honor to Ian Curtis and “all our fans of both bands.” He wrote in the caption “see you at the ceremony…” No other members of New Order have yet confirmed they will attend. 

Liam Gallagher of Oasis also confirmed he would attend after his past comments in critique of the Rock Hall. It was on advice from his mother, he wrote on X, that he “may have been a little hasty with [his] perception of the organization.” 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2026 Induction ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday 14 November. In December, a recording will air on Disney+ and ABC. 

Six acts from the UK are being recognised in the main Performer category, breaking the previous record of five in 2019. This year the British inductees are: Oasis, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden and Sade. Rounding out the class is American soul/R&B singer and producer, Luther Vandross and American hip-hip collective, Wu-Tang Clan.

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In February the Rock Hall announced 17 nominees for the Performer category which were then narrowed to just 8 inductees by a panel of 1,200 artists, historians and industry professionals.

Both Sade, Nigerian-British front woman of her namesake band, and English rocker Billy Idol have been nominated once before. Meanwhile heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, have been nominated three times for the honor. Phil Collins was inducted in 2010 as a member of Genesis, but this is his first nomination as a solo act.

2026’s nomination marks the third consecutive year of the nod for Oasis. Frontman Liam Gallagher shared his thoughts on the induction on X this morning saying “ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame.”

I wanna thank all the people who voted for us it’s a real honour ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame it’s true what they say anything is possible if you have a dream LG x

— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) April 14, 2026

The sentiment is contrary to his previous comments on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Gallagher dismissed the band’s 2025 nomination, writing on X “RNR hall of fame is for WANKERS.”

This morning, a fan responded to Gallagher’s acknowledgment of the induction asking, “what happened to not wanting to be in it.” Gallagher said that speaking with his mother changed his mind: “she thinks I may have been a little hasty with my perception of the organization she’s told me to stop being a d**k and go to the awards and behave and you never know you might enjoy it.”

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has also expressed critique with the Hall of Fame. On a tour in 2018 Dickinson said he believed the Hall was “a load of bollocks” and in 2023 he told The Telegraph “I don’t want to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, because we’re not dead yet!”

Sade’s induction carries significance with it, as she will be the first British Black woman inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sade was born in Nigeria and has lived in the UK since age 4. Her nominal band broke America, seeing great success there: 2010’s ‘Soldier of Love’ went Number 1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts.

Other induction categories include Early Influence featuring, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifa, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons.

Also to be inducted but into the Musical Excellence category is Rick Rubin, Linda Creed, Arif Mardin and Jimmy Miller.

Finally, receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award, given to a non-performing professional, is Ed Sullivan.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2026 Induction ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday 14 November. In December, a recording will air on Disney+ and ABC.

Though Summer passed away in 2012, her legacy feels more alive than ever. Announced by The Songwriters Hall of Fame this week following a posthumous ceremony of honour, her induction is not only a tribute to the icon but also a renewed celebration of disco’s artistry and cultural significance, something often underappreciated during its heyday.

When single ‘Love to Love You Baby’ arrived in 1975, it scandalised and seduced in equal measure. Produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, its early-electronic throb and hypnotic sensuality marked the dawn of a new era. Together, Summer and Moroder created a sound that would become the foundation of modern pop, electronic and dance music- a fusion of pulsing synthesisers, lush instrumentalism and an unrelenting rhythm that captured the euphoria of the dancefloor.

Summer’s voice moved effortlessly between intimacy and ecstasy, from the subdued sighs of ‘I Feel Love’ to the defiant drive of ‘Hot Stuff’. Her performances gave the music something that technology alone could never provide: soul. As electronic instruments rose to prominence, she humanised them, making the robotic feel romantic.

‘I Feel Love’, released in 1977, has since been acknowledged as one of the most influential recordings in modern music history. It anticipated techno, house and the digital revolution that would dominate later decades. Brian Eno famously told David Bowie that the song would change the future of music. The likes of Madonna, Beyoncé, and Kylie Minogue have drawn from Summer’s work, featuring pulsating beats, sensual liberation and unfiltered confidence, using iconic samples directly from her music (E.g, Beyoncé’s ‘Naughty Girl’).

But Summer’s career went far beyond disco’s mirrored ball. She was a pop star who transcended genre, finding strength in reinvention. Hits like ‘Bad Girls’ and ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ showcased her versatility while grounding her in anthems of empowerment and endurance. She balanced the divine and the everyday, glitz and gospel, turning dance music into something deeply human.

This Hall of Fame induction cements her legacy as more than a disco legend; it affirms her as one of the great innovators of modern sound. The genre she helped pioneer was once dismissed as disposable, but without disco’s rhythmic DNA, electronic pop as we know it wouldn’t exist.

Donna Summer made people dance, but she also made them feel free. Her records offered escape and empowerment in equal measure, celebrating self-expression and joy at a time when both were political. As the Hall of Fame recognises her monumental impact, the lights of the dancefloor glow a little brighter, now illuminated by the powerhouse who helped build it.

Other 2025 inductees included hugely regarded performers like Outkast, Cyndi Lauper, Sound Garden, The White Stripes, each honoured in the November ceremony.

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With the list of nominees revealed, an international voting panel of over 1200 people from in and around the music industry will cast their votes and determine who out of the 14 acts will make it to the Hall of Fame. The criteria on which votes are cast should include the longevity of their career, the band or artist’s cultural impact, and their impact on their fellow musicians, and the next generation.  

For Oasis, this will be their second nomination in as many years, though the band hasn’t been enthusiastic about being inducted in the past. Liam Gallagher dismissed the Hall of Fame in 2024, describing it as being “full of bumbaclarts” on X after they received the first nomination. In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Noel Gallagher responded to a question about the award by bluntly saying “I know what it is. I know what it entails, and it won’t be f***ing happening.”

Fuck the Rock n Roll hall of fame its full of BUMBACLARTS LG x — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) February 12, 2024

Joy Division and New Order’s joint nomination has caused a stir online. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has justified putting the bands together, describing them as “innovative musicians who created something revolutionary and massively influential, not once, but twice.” The post-punk icons’ inclusion has also highlighted a glaring omission. The Smiths have not been inducted, and have only been nominated once, having missed out to the likes of Green Day in 2015.

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Joe Cocker has been nominated posthumously after his death in 2014. According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website, Cocker is being recognised for his ability to reinterpret songs and make them his own, an opinion shared by many online too. The gravel-voiced singer is one of Sheffield’s most famous musical exports alongside the Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard.   

Billy Idol has embraced the chance to be inducted, taking to X to call it “an honour and a privilege”, as well as providing fans a link to vote. He made reference to ‘White Wedding’, one of his most iconic tracks, with the hashtag #ItsANiceDayToVoteAgain.

It is a honor and a privilege to be nominated for the rockhall Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025! The Fan Vote is now open and you can visit https://t.co/05OFii67q1 daily to cast your vote from now until April 21st! #ItsANiceDayToVoteAgain pic.twitter.com/0LpAGXVFex

— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) February 12, 2025

The voting process allows the public to pick seven nominees each day between now and April 21, though its influence on the final vote has been debated. The top-voted act receives one ballot submission among thousands of others, meaning the fan vote has a weighting of less than 0.1%.

 If any of the UK acts are eventually inducted, they will join over 50 other UK artists to be recognised by the Hall of Fame. Among the performers are The Beatles, Radiohead and Roxy Music, and in the non-performers category, Sir George Martin, the Beatles’ producer, and Brian Epstein, their manager.

This year’s nominees have a strong UK showing, though debates around the acts that are still missing, such as The Smiths and Iron Maiden, keep raging on. Fan involvement is largely symbolic and has very little bearing on the final results, and many will be eagerly waiting to see how closely the final shortlist matches the results of the online votes. Voting can be done here.

The full list is as follows:

Oasis

Bad Company

Joe Cocker

OutKast

Mariah Carey

Cyndi Lauper

Phish

Maná

Chubby Checker

Soundgarden

The White Stripes

Joy Division + New Order

The Black Crowes

Billy Idol

Mayall’s family announced his passing via Facebook yesterday (July 23) writing: “It is with heavy hearts that we bear the news that John Mayall passed away peacefully in his California home yesterday, July 22, 2024, surrounded by loving family. Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors. John Mayall gave us ninety years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain.”

John Mayall was a singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist and is often referred to as ‘The Godfather of British Blues’. He formed the group John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers in 1963 which helped him transform the British blues rock secene.

Throughout the 1960s The Bluesbreakers saw a number of British rock superstars have stints in the group before they reached stardom. This included Eric Clapton, Peter Green who formed Fleetwood Mac, Mick Taylor who later joined The Rolling Stones, Mick Fleetwood, and Jack Bruce, who became the singer and bassist for Cream.

Mayall was born in Macclesfield in 1933 and before becoming a renowned musician he partook in 3 years of National Service for the army where he toured Korea, before studying at the Manchester College of art.

Mayall moved to London in 1963 to form the Bluesbreakers where he recruited John Mcvie for for the earliest lineup of the group which featured on the band’s debut single ‘Crawling Up a Hill’. After leaving The Yardbirds Eric Clapton joined the band in 1965 after they released their first album. Clapton breifly left the band when he was replaced by Peter Green. Clapton then returned to the band and Green was dismissed by Mayall. With Clapton they recorded the 1966 album ‘Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton’ which reached the top ten in the UK album charts.

Clapton then left the band again to form Cream with Jack Bruce who was also briefly a member of the Bluesbreakers. Mayall persuaded Peter Green to re-join the band and they then recorded the album A Hard Road. After Peter Green left the band to form Fleetwood Mac he was replaced by 18-year-old Mick Taylor.

During the 1970s Mayall stopped releasing music with The Bluesbreakers and moved to America. Here he moved away from blues to experiment with jazz, funk and rock. He collaborated with the likes of Paul Butterfield, Patti Smith, and members of Canned Heat.

In 2005, Mayall was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire).  He was also  due to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the ceremony in Cleveland, USA in October this year.

Mayall’s career spanned over 60 years and saw him release over 30 studio albums as a member of The Bluesbreakers and as a solo artist, with his last album being 2022’s ‘The Sun Is Shining Down’.

(1/3) In Memoriam: 2024 Inductee John Mayall was the godfather of British blues. As a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader, Mayall displayed a talent for mentoring gifted young musicians, many of whom he recruited for his groundbreaking band the Bluesbreakers. pic.twitter.com/6qXhj6LVk7

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) July 23, 2024

Kate Bush was not at the ceremony in Brooklyn herself as she released a statement on her website, saying: “I am completely blown away by this huge honour – an award that sits in the big beating heart of the American music industry. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I never imagined I would be given this wonderful accolade. Last year was such a surprisingly successful time for my track Running Up That Hill and I’m sure that a lot of you who’ve voted me in to the RRHOF also drove that track up the charts. Thank you! I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the ceremony tonight, but for me the real honour is knowing that you felt I deserved it.”

In place of Bush, St Vincent performed ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ at the ceremony in her honour. St Vincent later released a post on social media, recalling her admiration for Bush, as she said: “Kate Bush. First heard her song ‘This Woman’s Work” in the pivotal scene in the 1988 film She’s Having A Baby. And though I was 7 or 8 and too young to understand much of anything, I wept. Then around age 16 I went to CD World in Dallas and saw a copy of ‘The Sensual World’ on the racks. And I was so taken with her. Her expression. The flower to her lips. I hadn’t put the pieces together yet that this was the woman who sang THAT song. But I took it home and it was her. That woman who could soar so high into the ether and reach so deep into your soul. The entire album is a masterpiece, but I still cannot listen to ‘This Woman’s Work’ without weeping. I stand in awe of Kate Bush. There is no one who could ever compare.”

St Vincent’s performance of ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ can be found below.

Kate Bush had been nominated for the honour three times before in 2018, 2021 and 2022, but did not get an induction until this year. Bush’s song ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ was used on the fourth season of Stranger Things, with the track earning fresh recognition with a younger audience, particularly in the United States – No doubt contributing to her induction.

The band’s team took to Twitter, writing “Duran Duran are thrilled to confirm a special new music project is in the works, set for release later this year on BMG.”

They continued, “The new recordings will feature extended Duran Duran family and friends, old and new, including our former band mate Andy Taylor who will join us on guitar on a few tracks.”

Duran Duran are set to begin their “Future Past” tour next month, with the Twitter post concluding, “Simon, Nick, John and Roger look forward to seeing you all out on the road this year!”

pic.twitter.com/BqBoWZ7a6x

— Duran Duran (@duranduran) March 20, 2023

This project will be the first time that Duran Duran have worked with their original guitarist, Andy Taylor, since his departure from the band back in 2006.

Andy Taylor was intending to reunite with the band when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. However, his ongoing struggle with prostate cancer meant that this was unable to happen.

Speaking to 5 News about his diagnosis, Andy said, “You really wanna get the most out of life.”

“I’ve been very fortunate, I’ve had so much, in terms of living the dream, but because I do music, I think that’s probably really helped me to live with pessimism of an incurable disease.”

Andy wrote an emotional letter celebrating his time in the band when the news of their induction broke, saying, “You can dream about what happened to us but to experience it, on one’s own terms, as mates, was beyond incredible. I would like to thank each of my brothers in this great band.”

Following Andy’s withdrawal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor spoke to The Mirror, saying, “When he dropped the bomb two days before the Hall of Fame, it was really shocking and terribly sad. We’re working on an album right now that is going to be coming out at the end of the year and he’s playing guitar.”

Revealing more about what’s to be expected from this upcoming project, John continued, “Had he come to LA and just gone on the TV show, we probably wouldn’t have even thought about it. That [the album] happened as a result of this. There’s a lot of cover songs on the album, songs meaningful to us when we were kids. So having him be a part of that project is great.”

John briefly spoke about the recording process for the new project, sharing, “Le Bon is flying to Ibiza to work with Andy. I kind of wish I was there. I think it’ll be great. It’ll be really profound for them. They haven’t been in the studio together in maybe 10 to 20 years.”

Both Duran Duran and Andy seem happy to leave their infamous rift in the past, with Andy writing “Now for the bad blood, well the good news is that there is none, just pure love and respect for everything we wrote, recorded and achieved together. What’s the point? There’s no stopping this 44-year thing called ‘Duran Duran.'”

Purchase tickets for the “Future Past” tour here.

29/04/2023 – AO Arena – Manchester

01/05/2023 – The O2 – London

02/05/2023 – The O2 – London

04/05/2023 – First Direct Arena – Leeds

05/05/2023 – Utilita Arena Birmingham – Birmingham

07/05/2023 – 3Arena – Dublin

09/05/2023 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow

Stream Duran Duran’s discography here.

Hynde herself was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2005 as part of The Pretenders, but has since taken to social media to decry its relevance. She stated, “I don’t even wanna be associated with it. It’s just more establishment backslapping.”

She continued, “Other than Neil Young’s participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks. It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool.”

Despite being inducted back in 2005, Hynde seems to have always viewed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a negative light.

In her Facebook post, she stated, “I got in a band so I didn’t have to be part of all that. I was living a happy life in Rio when I got the call I was being inducted. My heart sank because I knew I’d have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn’t. I’d upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them. ( like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality ).”

This discussion was sparked after Courtney Love called for more female acts to be inducted. Love shared her outrage at the lack of diversity on social media, telling the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to “GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!”

@rockhall GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!

I wrote this for the @guardian https://t.co/sjpCeYcqyY

— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Love, the lead singer of grunge band Hole, subsequently wrote an article for The Guardian in which she highlighted that “barely 8% of its inductees are female. The canon-making doesn’t just reek of sexist gatekeeping, but also purposeful ignorance and hostility.”

She continued, “the nominations for this year’s class, announced last month, offered the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boy’s club.”

Love also drew attention to the fact that “it doesn’t look good for black artists either.” “If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.”

Love responded to Chrissie Hynde’s Facebook post on Twitter, writing “principals b4 personalities!”

ARTISTS! Beef off the table. Principals b4 personalities! @chrissiehynde (blew my world into a rainbow in 79 #GOAT ) TBC. I would not accept, don’t need! @rockhall. BRO it isn’t 4 me I speak. THAT BOARD NEEDS A HOSE DOWN so women & poc can FEED THEIR KIDS. Not just Bon Jovi pic.twitter.com/LVJpPUa1g6 — Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Love has continued her tyrade on social media, claiming she was previously “silenced by boos” when she has previously tried to speak her mind.

BRO! @billboard

Me @rockhall HOLDING MY TONGUE.

When I went to speak? I was silenced by boos… So, yeah. pic.twitter.com/2mHdeuNSF7

— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Hynde and Love have both been met with varying receptions from fans after sharing their controversial standpoints.

The Pretenders are rumoured to be releasing a new album this year titled Relentless with the release date yet to be confirmed.

See The Pretenders at Midnight Sun Weekender Festival. Tickets available here.