Owing to health concerns stemming from the novel coronavirus, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has canceled its 2020 live induction ceremony and opted instead to release a special about this year’s nominees.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame higher-ups made the unfortunate announcement this morning, via a social media post and a statement. The 35th annual induction ceremony had been scheduled to take place on November 7th, once again from Cleveland, Ohio. The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, and the Notorious B.I.G. are among this year’s inductees, and their inductions were initially expected to occur on May 2nd.
COVID-19 worries then prompted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to delay the ceremony until November, and ongoing uncertainty inspired the decision to shelf the 2020 edition altogether. For reference, tickets to the induction event sold out in about an hour; fans will receive full refunds within the next 30 days.
In place of the Rock Hall induction ceremony, “an exclusive special honoring the class of 2020 Inductees” will air on HBO and HBO Max on Saturday, November 7th, at 8 o’clock in the east and 5 o’clock in the west.
Per the aforementioned statement, the pre-recorded program will feature inductees’ acceptance speeches and interviews, as well as archival Rock and Roll Hall of Fame footage and comments from artists who have influenced the careers of the inductees. However, the announcement didn’t indicate that the special will include performances.
On social media, many fans are calling for the Rock Hall to honor the 2020 inductees at next year’s live function.
“Guys — they’ve earned the big ceremony. Thank you for the broadcast, but as a long-time member, please honor this class by inducting them with a live event next year,” wrote one individual.
“Next year, make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions a two-night affair, the 2020 inducted on the Friday and 2021 inducted on the Saturday night, it could be like an induction music festival,” echoed a different Twitter user.
“How about back-to-back weekend induction ceremonies next year? Friday Class of 2020 & Saturday 2021 of Induction weekend?” said a third fan.
An array of music awards shows, including the Tony Awards, the iHeartRadio Music Awards, and BMI’s Pop Awards, to name just some, have been canceled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The MTV Video Music Awards are still set for Sunday, August 30th, though the broadcast will move forward without a physical audience.
The 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is tentatively slated to welcome fans in Cleveland, Ohio, next autumn.