Rock Hall Nominations, Inductions Permanently Adjusted Due to COVID-19

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations and induction schedules will now be permanently adjusted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Traditionally, nominations were announced in October, and the final induction class was announced that following January. Now, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Joel Peresman tells Vulture, "We moved the timing of the ceremony. We’re going to move the ceremony permanently so it’s in the fall of each year because of COVID. We’re also moving the nomination process...This time the nomination meetings will happen in January, so we’ll announce the nominees in February and start that voting process then."

As previously reported, the 2021 Rock Hall nominations and inductee announcement were going to follow this schedule, but this is the first time the Rock Hall has announced a permanent change to its nomination and induction process.

Peresman also added the Rock Hall remains hopeful of returning to their regular induction ceremony in 2021, as opposed to having a pre-recorded induction special like they're having for 2020.

Peresman said to Vulture, "We felt so badly, and I know a lot of the inductees did, too. This was their moment to be onstage with their bandmates and their families and friends to celebrate this moment. It was devastating to us and for them to be able to not have that live moment."

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction special will air on HBO and HBO Max Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 8 p.m. EST. This year's inductees include Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., T-Rex, and Ahmet Ertegun Award honorees Jon Landau and Irving Azoff.