How to watch the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight
Let’s rock, roll, give out some awards and actually watch them live!
The 38th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and, for the first time, will be streamed live.
The livestream begins at 5 p.m. Pacific on Disney+ and will be available on demand on the platform after the ceremony concludes.
Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Rage Against the Machine and the Spinners will also be inducted into the Rock Hall in November.
HBO has aired the ceremony in the past, but several weeks after the event took place. This time around, ABC — the Walt Disney Co.-owned broadcast network — will air a three-hour special featuring highlights from the ceremony on Jan. 1 too.
The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class includes singer-songwriters Kate Bush and Sheryl Crow, rapper-producer Missy Elliott, late pop superstar George Michael, country-music legend Willie Nelson, the reunited rockers of Rage Against the Machine and the 1960s R&B group the Spinners.
“Father of Hip-Hop” DJ Kool Herc, late rock guitar pioneer Link Wray, vocalist Chaka Khan, songwriter and record producer Al Kooper, Elton John’s longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin and “Soul Train’s” Don Cornelius also will be inducted into the Rock hall this year.
The 2023 class is said to be among the most varied in the hall’s history, with women and people of color outnumbering white men, whose work the group has long been criticized for overvaluing. The new class represents a broad array of musical styles and genres, including country, hip-hop, rap-rock, R&B, art pop, folk-rock, dance music and blue-eyed soul.
In a May interview with The Times, Rock Hall Chairman John Sykes said that “rock ’n’ roll has never been one definitive sound but rather an attitude or a spirit” and that this year’s honorees show “how diverse the definition of rock ’n’ roll has become.”
Last year, country legend Dolly Parton made a fuss about her inclusion but ultimately joined the 2022 class alongside Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.
For Missy Elliott, a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame once seemed “so far out of reach.” On Friday, she will become the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted.
New members are voted in by a group of about 1,200 musicians, executives, historians and journalists, and several of this year’s class — Crow, Michael, Nelson and Elliott — are joining the hall after being nominated for the first time. (An act typically becomes eligible for induction 25 years after the release of its first commercial recording.)
“Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It” emcee Elliott is the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the hall. Earlier this week, she said that the recognition was “past a blessing.” Queen Latifah, who will be among the many celebrities in attendance, will introduce Elliott at Friday’s ceremony.
The ceremony will feature additional performers, including Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Brandi Carlile, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Common, Dave Matthews, Elton John, H.E.R., Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, New Edition, Olivia Rodrigo, Sia and St. Vincent.
Times pop music critic Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
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