First time’s the charm for Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon.
That varied cast of first-time nominees, along with durable rocker Pat Benatar and new wave duo Eurythmics, comprise the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2022.
The seven new entrants in the performer category — culled from a list of 17 nominees — are joined by Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (recipients of the musical excellence award); Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten (early influence award); and music business veterans Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson (Ahmet Ertegun award).
This year’s induction ceremony will be held Nov. 5 in Los Angeles, where it was previously staged in 2013 and 1993, at the Microsoft Theater. The show will air at a later date on HBO and HBO Max and be simulcast on SiriusXM.
Though the list of inductees mostly embraces musical stalwarts, Eminem represented the only nominee to get in his first year of eligibility. His debut album, “Infinite,” arrived in 1996; eligibility requirements call for an artist or band to have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
In recent years, the Rock Hall has allowed for a “fan vote,” giving devotees several weeks to cast a daily ballot for their favorite musicians. The top five artists selected by the public made up the “fans ballot,” which was tallied along with the other ballots to select the new inductees.
Duran Duran overwhelmingly snagged the honor this year, with nearly a million votes cast in their favor. Following the British trailblazers were Eminem (684,000), Pat Benatar (631,000), Eurythmics (442,000) and Parton (394,000).
Purists will continue the endless debate about which genres of music are legitimate entries into an organization created to showcase rock ‘n’ roll. The inclusions of country luminary Parton, rap titan Eminem and pop standout Simon will only exacerbate the argument.
Parton herself entered the fray following her February nomination, asking the Rock Hall to withdraw her nomination because, she said, “I don’t feel that I have earned the right.”
The voting board declined to remove her from the ballot and last week, Parton changed her perspective, telling NPR’s Morning Edition that she would “accept gracefully” if she was chosen for induction.
Nominee ballots are submitted by an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry.
