The ballots are in and tallied, and the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are:
- Depeche Mode
- The Doobie Brothers
- Whitney Houston
- Nine Inch Nails
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- T-Rex
- Jon Landau
- Irving Azoff
Of the six performer inductees, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G. and T-Rex are first-ballot inductees. Both Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails are being inducted on their third nomination.
The Doobie Brothers, meanwhile, is the only artist from the 2020 “Fans’ Ballot” to be part of the actual 2020 induction class. The other artists that made up the “Fans’ Ballot” were Dave Matthews Band, Pat Benatar, Soundgarden and Judas Priest. The “Fan’s Ballot” counted as one vote.
Meanwhile, Jon Landau and Irving Azoff will each receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors influential music industry professionals including songwriters, journalists, producers, DJs and record executives. Landau is best known for his work as a music critic, producer and being Bruce Springsteen’s longtime manager. Azoff is one of the most powerful executives in the music industry and has held a number of high-profile positions including being the Chairman and CEO of Ticketmaster Entertainment and Executive Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment. Azoff also manages a number of musicians, most notably the Eagles whom he’s managed since 1974.
The 35th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will take place 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.