The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 induction ceremony took place last night (November 14), and Wu-Tang Clan were there to triumph. RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and the rest of the crew were there for the honor, accepting the award from Chris Rock and performing “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” onstage together. Watch footage from the event below.
Everyone in Wu-Tang Clan took turns trading off during their acceptance speech, celebrating their status with plenty of bravado. RZA kicked things off with general appreciation (“It’s a testament to not only be recognized by our fans, but by the industry and other genres”) before others took over the microphone. “We went from being banned on the radio to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said Method Man. “I want to thank everyone who believed in us, and to anyone who didn’t, you can kiss my inducted ass.”
Wu-Tang Clan are the 16th hip-hop act to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, and Missy Elliott. The New York collective were honored as a milestone in the genre for their use of storytelling, lo-fi beats, conversational interludes, philosophy, and martial arts references, thanks in large part to their debut album, 1993’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
This year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was not live streamed. Instead, fans can tune in to watch a broadcast of the event on ABC and Disney+ on December 8. This year’s other inductees were Oasis, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Sade, Billy Idol, and Luther Vandross. The Early Influence Award was handed out to Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Gram Parsons this year. Meanwhile, the Musical Excellence Awards went to Linda Creed and Rick Rubin, among others, while the late Ed Sullivan honored with the 2026 Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-artists.
