When it comes to solidifying the depth of your artistry, there isn’t a higher honor than making it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The annual induction ceremony crowns the artists who have made their mark with authenticity and prowess, making a name for themselves while inspiring the world to pledge a little more allegiance to being artistically unbound. The Hall’s eligibility rule is 25 years after an artist’s first commercial release, which is why many of the names that occupy the roster have long led to fruitful legacies that span decades, genres, and distinct musical eras.
With that, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, including major names like Lauryn Hill, Phil Collins, Sade, Luther Vandross, Oasis, Iron Maiden, and Wu-Tang Clan. The argument that the Hall shouldn’t be honoring artists who aren’t exclusively “rock ‘n’ roll” is completely void this year, as there are plenty of pop, R&B, and hip-hop names on the list. Yet, there’s one particular first-time nominee that has caused a particular reaction, and that is Shakira. In the Rock Hall’s history, only three Hispanic artists have been inducted: Santana, Ritchie Valens and Linda Ronstadt. This would potentially make Shakira not only the fourth Latin artist to occupy the space, but also the first female artist from Colombia and Latin America to enter the Hall of Fame. But has she earned that induction?
Shakira Nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Coming onto the scene as a young Colombian and Lebanese songstress with grit and dance moving through her, her debut album, Magia, was released in June 1991. However, Shakira didn’t truly catch fire until her third studio album, Pies Descalzos, which was released in October 1995 and reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.
When it comes to honoring Shakira for the magnitude of her power, it is praise that has been earned time and time ago. She is primarily the songwriter behind her numerous hits, which span the many decades she’s maintained relevance. At the humble age of 19, Shakira was named a national cultural ambassador by the president of Colombia, and has been credited with bringing Spanish-language music into the mainstream global market without diluting its roots.
Though the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame roster is defined less by genre and more by impact, it’s important to remember the early comings of Shakira’s music, which was first and foremost drenched in rock influence. As seeds of influence for her sound, she has cited acts like Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nirvana, The Beatles, The Cure, The Police, and Aerosmith as inspirations that shaped her sound and artistic ambitions. With long, brunette tresses and a guitar in hand, her music often fused rock with several other genres, as she sang about female angst and the demand for identity. Though it contains global influence all the same, her 2001 landmark English-language album Laundry Service pop rock-centric. Her music has long fused rock with pop, Latin, and world music, making a sound distinctly hers.
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Failing to conform to anyone else’s blueprint, Shakira stands as the recipient of various major accolades, including four Grammy Awards and 15 Latin Grammy Awards. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction would only make sense as the next step in her career.
Latin Music Deserves its Honor
During a time in which Bad Bunny’s historical Super Bowl Halftime performance moved the entire world yet caused emotional uproar, it’s clear that there’s a campaign working to discredit the potency of Latin artistry. Latin rock has long been a thriving ecosystem, yet on a mainstream scale, its biggest names are often overlooked during these bigger conversations. In 2025, Maná made history as the first Spanish language band nominated for induction, yet when it was time to make the final class, they were snubbed. The lack of representation is disheartening, yet that does not stop their greatness from continuing to shine.
Shakira’s nomination is long overdue, yet somehow is still marked as controversial. Latin influence is often praised and celebrated when the stakes are low, yet rarely rewarded with the Hall’s highest honor when it’s time. The hope here is that with the potency of Shakira’s international influence and the longevity of her reign, she will break that pattern and shake the world into remembering the value of Latin music. The Rock Hall’s fan vote and 1,200 selected voters is now open, and the official inductees are expected to be announced in April 2026, with the ceremony planned for fall.
