New York (AFP) - Groundbreaking rapper Missy Elliott, the late English chart-topper George Michael and rap-rock changemakers Rage Against the Machine are among this year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, organizers announced Wednesday.
Eclectic rock experimentalist Kate Bush will also be inducted, as country icon Willie Nelson, rock-folk powerhouse Sheryl Crow and R&B group The Spinners round out 2023's class of new members.
The Cleveland, Ohio, institution's chairman, John Sykes, emphasized that this year's crop of musicians "reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define Rock & Roll," and also coincides with a milestone year that includes the 50th anniversary of the hip-hop genre and country icon Nelson's 90th birthday.
Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson were on the ballot for induction into the prestigious music pantheon for their first time.Rap innovator Elliott made the cut in her first year of eligibility.
Artists can be inducted 25 years after their first commercial music release.
They are voted on by a body of more than 1,000 artists, music historians and industry veterans.
The new honorees will be formally inducted on November 3 in the Rock Hall's annual concert ceremony, which this year will return to Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
