Rock Hall Chairman May Have Revealed Some Nominees for 2020 Induction Class

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees will be announced in the very near future, but new chairman John Sykes may have let some potential nominees slip in a new interview.

Speaking with Cleveland.com, Sykes said, "T. Rex and Depeche Mode were both nominated to get on the ballot, but so was Notorious B.I.G."

The Rock Hall has been criticized for lacking diversity in its inductees, nomination committee and voter pool for years, and it's something Sykes has acknowledged in recent interviews. Sykes said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, "[Former Rock Hall chairman] Jann [Wenner] himself has said that it’s time to evolve. His work has been to make 1.0, and it’s time to take the Hall to 2.0. That means a more diverse board, that means more women, people of color, people who reflect the kind of music that’s now being inducted. We have to look and feel like the artists that come into our Hall. That’s just the natural transition."

When the 2020 nominees are announced, we'll all see whether or not T. Rex, Depeche Mode and Notorious B.I.G. are nominated, as well as whether or not the nominees truly reflect a more diverse ballot of artists.