Fans, music executives and artists have been advocating on behalf of Janet Jackson being inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for over a decade now. The singer, who has been eligible since 2007 and wasn’t first nominated until 2016, will finally be included in the historic institution.
As announced on Thursday (Dec. 13) the iconic pop singer joins the class of 2019, which is comprised of The Cure, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music and The Zombies. The 34th annual ceremony is slated to take place on March 29, 2019 and will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Jackson took to Twitter to celebrate the news, writing, “We did it u guys [heart emoji] Thank U for all your love and support. #RockHall2019.”
Following the ceremony, the Cleveland, Ohio museum will reveal its official 2019 inductees exhibit, which will include exclusive memorabilia from throughout Jackson’s monumental and culture-shifting career.
The pop idol’s innovations in music are expansive, ranging from her vocal approach to her visual choreography to her socially conscious pop politics. Throughout the past four decades and change, Jackson has garnered a reputation as one of the most influential entertainers of all time, further sparking the debates that the singer’s inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is long overdue.
Other controversial snubs who have yet to be inducted into the Rock Hall include Whitney Houston, LL Cool J (who was among the nominees again this year) and Diana Ross, to name a few.
Congrats to Janet Jackson for finally being recognized for making history by an institution such as the Rock Hall!