The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, established in 1983 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, is dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential musicians, bands, producers, and others that have in some major way influenced the music industry, particularly in the area of rock and roll. Originally, there were four categories of induction: performers, non-performers, early influences, and lifetime achievement. In 2000, sidemen was introduced as a category, which has since been altered to musical excellence.
The only category that has seen new inductees every single year is the performers category. Artists become eligible for induction in that category 25 years after the release of their first record. In order to be inducted, an artist must be nominated by a committee that selects a number of candidates. Ballots are then sent to more than 1,000 "rock experts" who evaluate the candidates and vote on who should be inducted. The performers that receive the highest number of votes are inducted. This number varies; for example, seven were inducted in 2019. Starting in 2012, fans could vote on a fan ballot with an equal weight to the other ballots. New inductees are honored at an annual ceremony held at the Hall of Fame in Cleveland every even-numbered year and either New York City or Los Angeles every odd-numbered year.
The three other categories are selected by committees instead of the annual ballot. In 2025, Rock Hall chairman John Sykes said, "No matter what category you're in, Performer or those other three, it's the same size plaque on the wall right next to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, and the Beatles. It's not a secondary award. It's equal to getting in as a performer."
Inductees Performers The performers category is meant for recording artists and bands that have "influence and significance to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll".