The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Unveils Electrifying Class of 2025 Inductees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation pulled back the curtain on its 2025 Inductees – a powerhouse lineup of trailblazers, icons, and music legends who have shaped the ever-evolving sounds of Rock & Roll.

This year’s announcement delivered live by Ryan Seacrest on tonight’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame episode of “American Idol,” sets the stage for an unforgettable celebration of music’s highest honor.

Performer Category:
Bad Company
Chubby Checker
Joe Cocker
Cyndi Lauper
Outkast
Soundgarden
The White Stripes

Musical Influence Award:
Salt-N-Pepa
Warren Zevon

Musical Excellence Award:
Thom Bell
Nicky Hopkins
Carol Kaye

Ahmet Ertegun Award:
Lenny Waronker

The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, November 8th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The 2025 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.

“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,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”

The Inductees were announced live on ABC this evening by Ryan Seacrest during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame episode of “American Idol,” where the Top 14 American Idol finalists took on songs from legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees as America voted live for the Top 12. The episode will be available tomorrow on Hulu.

To be eligible for induction, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Bad Company, and Outkast are first-time nominees, whereas Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes have all been nominated before.

The Induction categories include:

Performers: artists who have created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll.
Musical Influence Award: artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock & roll and music impacting culture.
Musical Excellence Award: given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence have had a dramatic impact on music.
Ahmet Ertegun Award: non-performing industry professionals who have had a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted culture.