The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is gearing up to welcome its 2019 class. As previously reported, this year will finally see the induction of the legendary Janet Jackson.
As the event, which is set to take place on March 29, creeps closer, organizers have announced which artists have been tapped as presenters for the prestigious ceremony. Per the Associated Press, none other than Janelle Monáe has been recruited to introduce Jackson during the annual affair’s star-studded presentation.
In addition to Monáe giving a speech about the pop icon, other speakers will include David Byrne (for Radiohead), Trent Reznor (for The Cure), Harry Styles (for Stevie Nicks), Duran Duran’s John Taylor and Simon Le Bon (for Roxy Music), Queen’s Brian May (for Def Leppard) and the Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs (for the Zombies).
The pairing of each presenter and the esteemed acts in which they will be introducing speaks to the importance of one generation honoring another and helping to uphold the legacies laid out by those who helped pave the way. Monáe has spoken about Jackson’s influence on her own art in the past, referring to her fondly as one of her “fav inspirations.”
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be filmed at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will air on HBO on April 27.
After news of her induction broke late last year, many took to social media to express how the innovative singer’s inclusion was long overdue. Jackson previously was nominated twice in the past and will finally be inducted into the revered music and cultural institution.
In related news, last month Jackson announced details of her first residency in Las Vegas. The residency, aptly titled “Metamorphorsis,” will celebrate 30 years of her 1989 classic album Rhythm Nation. The run of shows is set to begin this May.