2020 Rock Hall Inductions To Be Held Virtually

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions have downshifted to a virtual ceremony this year, according to Rolling Stone. The event — originally scheduled for Cleveland’s Public Hall on May 2nd — was pushed to November 7th due to the ongoing pandemic; and although the new date is still holding, 2020 marks the first year that the Rock Hall will induct its members online.

John Sykes, the Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement, “To protect the health and safety of our Inductees, their families, crews and our attendees, we’ve made the decision that the scheduled live event is not possible. Together with HBO and executive producer Joel Gallen, we will still create an exciting program honoring our 2020 inductees, by telling the stories of their incredible contributions to music and impact on a generation of artists that followed them.”

The 2020 Rock Hall inductees are the Doobie Brothers, T. Rex, Nine Inch Nails, Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, and the Notorious B.I.G.

Jon Landau — Bruce Springsteen's manager and producer, along with music mogul and Eagles manager Irving Azoff, will be both receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston admitted he was unsure how the voting would go for the band — but is clearly thrilled with the Doobies finally getting the nod: “It's pretty wild, man. It's a big deal. We're all pretty stoked. We don't talk about it a lot. It comes up, but I think it comes up be cause the fans are always saying, 'When are you gonna be in the Hall of Fame?' And we hear that a lot. We're very gratified that the fans have given us their support. I gotta tell you, that's a huge part of everything; fan support has been awesome — they've been great. That, really, is one of the reasons that we're here now.”

NIN's Trent Reznor admitted he changed his attitude regarding awards when he was honored with both an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 2010 for the score to The Social Network: “I've got 'em up on the mantle and, I've got to say, never been much one for trophies or recognition, but when it's coming from someplace that feels legitimate, it makes a difference. And what happened I felt was unexpected and it was flattering and I've allowed myself to feel pretty good about it.”