Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame permanently changes annual event dates due to COVID-19

The whole world and how we operate has been turned on its head thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and while most annual events have had to be rescheduled or cancelled, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has confirmed that the changes to its annual calendar events due to COVID-19 will be permanent, and will carry on once the pandemic is over.

Its regular schedule saw the Hall Of Fame team announce the nominations for the following year's inclusions in autumn, before confirming the artists being inducted into the Hall Of Fame at the start of the following year. Prior to COVID-19, the chosen artists would be inducted during a Spring ceremony.

Stereogum reports that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame team have decided to permanently host the ceremony in autumn each year, with this year's virtual induction ceremony taking place this weekend (7 November) on HBO.

Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation said of the change, "We moved the timing of the ceremony. We’re going to move the ceremony permanently so it’s in the fall of each year because of COVID. We’re also moving the nomination process. Normally, the nomination process starts in September, we announce the nominees in October, and then we announce the inductees in January. This time the nomination meetings will happen in January, so we’ll announce the nominees in February and start that voting process then."

Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode and more will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this weekend. Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Iggy Pop and St. Vincent are due to appear in the virtual ceremony.