Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony postponed amid coronavirus concerns

As a result of the ongoing concern surrounding the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF) induction ceremony has been officially postponed.

“We are very disappointed to announce the postponement of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,” said Joel Peresman, President of the RRHOF, confirming the decision in a statement on Thursday, according to multiple outlets (including Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times).

“Our first concern is to the health and safety of our attendees and artists and we are complying to the direction of the local and state authorities and common sense,” Peresmen’s statement continued, adding, “We look forward to rescheduling the ceremony and will make that announcement at the earliest convenience.”

The rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China last December, and as of March 12, it was confirmed to have infected more than 130,000 people across 100-plus countries. It has claimed over 4,900 lives and as of Wednesday, has been declared a global pandemic.

As chosen by the RRHOF’s voting body and participating fans across the world earlier this year, inductees: Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G. were set to be joining the ranks of the storied institution this May.

The news follows a myriad of other events being put on pause within the entertainment industry, including the 2020 Juno Awards, music festivals like Coachella, additional concerts and tours — including Pearl Jam‘s long-awaited Gigaton tour — and the worldwide release of No Time to Die, the upcoming 25th James Bond film.

As well, a variety of daytime and late-night TV talk shows made the decision to suspend live studio audiences from attending the taping of episodes. Among the shows were The Tonight Show, The Late Show and Late Night with Seth Myers;  all announced they would be taking safety precautions amid concerns surrounding the global pandemic on Wednesday.

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