Every year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors artists whose contributions to music are undeniable. On Sunday, the Hall of Fame announced its 2025 inductee class, and it includes several Black artists whose work continues to influence music today. Read on for who made the cut and everything you need to know about the induction ceremony later this year.
OutKast, Salt-N-Pepa and Chubby Checker to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s performer category celebrates “artists who have created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll,” and this year, boundary-pushing rap group OutKast and legendary 1960s “The Twist” singer Chubby Checker both made its list of inductees.
Rap group Salt-N-Pepa will be honored with the Hall of Fame’s coveted Musical Influence Award. This category highlights “artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock & roll and music impacting culture.”
“Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chairman John Sykes said in a statement. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
Other inductees include Cyndi Lauper, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon and more
A list of other inductees per category is below.
Performer Category
Bad Company
Joe Cocker
Cyndi Lauper
Soundgarden
The White Stripes
Musical Influence Award
Warren Zevon
Musical Excellence Award
Thom Bell
Nicky Hopkins
Carol Kaye
Ahmet Ertegun Award
Lenny Waronker
When and where can you watch the induction ceremony
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be available to stream live on Disney+, and an edited version of the event will air later on ABC and Hulu.