The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: which artist has been nominated the most times?
While many artists often dismiss the importance of major awards ceremonies, the prestige attached to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is irresistible. An induction into the exclusive club is the hallmark of an iconic career and puts musicians into the pantheon of greatness.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began in 1986, and the ceremony was irrecognisable from the institution it is today. While the annual event has built a reputation as the place for historic bands to make one-off reunions, that has not always been the case. Instead, the inaugural occasion took place inside a function room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
Despite the lack of opulent surroundings, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame still managed to attract a series of legendary musicians. However, one aspect that has remained the same is eligibility. Artists are only eligible when their debut record turns 25 and are chosen by leading industry figures.
In 1986, the event started strongly by inducting James Brown, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and The Everly Brothers. Since then, there has been a long list of nominees every year, which later gets narrowed down by experts to create a class of inductees.
However, if artists fail to make the final list of inductees, this doesn’t prevent them from being nominated again another year. There’s no limit on the number of times an artist can be shortlisted for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Nile Rodgers discovered with Chic.
Following the 25th anniversary of their eponymous debut album, Chic were first nominated in 2003, which started an agonising pattern for Rodgers. Astonishingly, until the band’s 11th nomination in 2017 for the group to be finally accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an induction long overdue.
Pharrell Williams had the honour of inducting Rodgers, who said in his speech: “When people work with me, they think that I’m the boss. But believe me, every record I do I join the band. I try and make every artist believe that all I have is their best interest at heart. I remember saying to Madonna, when we finish this record it’s going to say MADONNA,” he then whispered, “produced by Nile Rodgers”. The musician added: “My name doesn’t mean shit; it’s going to be this big.”
He continued: “This award, which is amazing to me, is really because of all the people that have allowed me to come into their lives and just join their band. Be it Mick Jagger, be it Madonna, be it Duran Duran, be it Daft Punk, be it Pharrell Williams, be it Diana Ross, be it Sister Sledge. I mean it just goes on and on and on. Thank you all.”
Watch the emotional moment Rodgers was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below.
