Eminem and Lionel Richie will be among the inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The announcement was made today (May 4).
Other inductees include singer, songwriter, activist and actor Harry Belafonte and country music icon Dolly Parton.
Eminem, Richie and Parton will all receive honors in the Performer Category while Belafonte will receive an Early Influence Award.
Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame John Sykes released a statement saying, “This diverse group of inductees each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock & roll.” He added, “Their music moved generations and influenced so many artists that followed.”
Despite the name, many non-rock & roll artists have been honored with inductions over the years.
According to the rules of the organization, to be eligible as a performer in the Hall of Fame, groups or individual artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before the year of nomination.
The inductees were narrowed down after 17 nominees were selected in February. Before that, finalists were selected from over 1,000 artists, historians and other music professionals. Voting was open to the public.
Richie expressed his gratitude for the achievement in a tweet.
“Being elected to @rockhall is an incredible honor. I would like to say THANK YOU to all of the voters, to all of my wonderful fans and to everyone at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all of my fellow 2022 inductees! #RockHall2022,” the “All Night Long” singer said.
According to Detroit Free Press, Eminem will be the second solo hip hop artist to be included. Last year, Jay-Z made history when he became the first.
This year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. For those that are interested in watching, the event will stream on HBO and HBO Max.