Wu-Tang Clan Joins Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Wu-Tang Clan has officially been voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The announcement was made on April 13, with other inductees including Sade, Luther Vandross, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, and Joy Division/New Order.

Additionally, fellow hip-hop legends Queen Latifah and MC Lyte will receive the “Early Influence” award, acknowledging their contributions as pioneers in music and culture.

The formal induction ceremony is scheduled for November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and it will be available for viewing on ABC and Disney+ in December.

RZA expressed his joy and gratitude on Instagram, stating, “In all Humility. This announcement filled me with joy, proudness, profound achievement, and awe. I’m grateful to all my brothers and those who helped us on the path. Thank you Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This is a true Triumph – Wutang Forever.”

Raekwon commented, “History books will know this club! this my grammy. what we talking bout! haaaaaaaaaaa. shout out to all our mothers who birth these men. they won tonite,” while GZA added, “We couldn’t have reached this milestone without our hip hop predecessors, fans, collaborators, friends and family. We thank you.”

This year, Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, and Shakira were also nominated but did not receive enough votes from the international voting body, which consists of over 1,200 inductees, historians, and music industry professionals.

With Wu-Tang Clan's induction, the total number of hip-hop acts in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame now stands at 18. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip-hop group inducted in 2007, followed by other influential acts like Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and N.W.A. Notable inductees include JAY-Z, Eminem, 2Pac, Biggie, OutKast, Missy Elliott, and A Tribe Called Quest, while LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, and DJ Kool Herc have been honored as either an Early Influence or a Musical Excellence Award recipient.