The third nomination was a charm for Nine Inch Nails who were announced today (January 15) as part of the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class.
“I’m pretty freaked out. I’m quite in shock…Used to failing, yeah. I’m kind of relieved because I figured that every year for the rest of my life, I’d have a new disappointment reminding me, ‘You’re not good enough,’” said Trent Reznor to Rolling Stone, who, so far, is the only member of Nine Inch Nails that will be inducted. Reznor pointed that fact out by saying, “My preference would be that my band get inducted. I’m not the one deciding that, but there’s an effort on my part to acknowledge that.”
Reznor, who had been vocal about his dislike for the Rock Hall for years, finally came around about the institution after inducting The Cure during the 2019 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony.
“I had thought the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concept felt absurd,” said Reznor. “In some ways, it surely is; to try and quantify something as broad as that and inevitably add a competitive element to it. The gamification of it is hard to rationalize. Being there in that room last year to induct the Cure felt really cool. Sitting with the guys in Radiohead and watching Bryan Ferry play. It is just nice to see a bunch of people celebrating music as the primary thing. It felt legit. It really felt good. Like I said, it hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m quite honored that we’re being recognized.”
Reznor also committed to attending and performing at the ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, May 2 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2 at 8 PM ET.
