The Rock n'roll hall of fame will host its coveted induction ceremony today in the Barclay Centre New York. The event will be live streamed on Apple Music1.

The coveted accolade has a shortlist of 7 inductees for the performer category including Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliot, George Michael and Kate Bush.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was established in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983 with annual inductions taking place every year since 1986. For some time now the institution has defined "rock" less in terms of genre than a celebration of youth culture, with a number of rap, pop, R&B and country stars included.

To be eligible, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to induction. Four of seven inductees in the Performer category were on the ballot for the first time, including Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, and Willie Nelson.

This was the first year of eligibility for Missy Elliott.

John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said of the 2023 ceremony “We are honoured that this November’s Induction Ceremony in New York will coincide with two milestones in music culture; the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson and the 50th Anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop".

Women represent fewer than 100 of the nearly 1,000 Hall inductees since 1986, which added fuel to the fire when earlier Jann Wenner, one of the board members who help found the institution made comments deemed disparaging towards women and people of colour, which were published an interview in the  New York Times promoting his new book The Masters.

When asked about the absence of women and people of colour in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wenner said none could "articulate" on the level of "philosophers of rock."

The comments were widely eviscerated as racist and sexist, and Wenner was swiftly axed from the Hall's board of directors.

The inductees of the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of fame are as follows:

Performer Category

Kate Bush
Sheryl Crow
Missy Elliott
George Michael
Willie Nelson
Rage Against the Machine
The Spinners

Musical Influence Award

DJ Kool Herc
Link Wray

Musical Excellence Award

Chaka Khan
Al Kooper
Bernie Taupin

Ahmet Ertegun Award

Don Cornelius