Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson and Kate Bush among Rock Hall nominees

NEW YORK – Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Kate Bush, Iron Maiden, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow and the late George Michael are the 2023 nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, reflecting a mix of country, soul , hip-hop, metal, pop, rap-rock and grunge.

The Cleveland-based institution announced Wednesday the 14 artists and bands being considered for Rock Hall induction, including Rage Against the Machine, The Spinners, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon and Joy Division/New Order.

Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to being eligible for induction.

“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diversity of artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “These artists created their own sounds that marked generations and influenced countless others who followed in their footsteps.”

Eight of the 14 nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Crow, Elliott, Joy Division/New Order, Lauper, Michael, Nelson, The White Stripes and Zevon. This is the first year of eligibility for Elliott and The White Stripes.

A Tribe Called Quest and Bush were nominated last year and were unsuccessful, but now find themselves in the running this year. Bush’s latest wink may be due to a new wave of popularity after ‘Stranger Things’ featured his song ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’.

The inductees will be announced in May and the ceremony will take place this fall. Nominees will be voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans can vote online or in person at the museum, with the top five artists chosen by the public making up a “fan vote” which will be counted along with the other professional votes.

Last year, the nomination process was complicated by Dolly Parton, who enthusiastically welcomed the honor after temporarily turning it down. She initially said she didn’t want to take votes away from the remaining candidates and that she hadn’t “earned that right”.