Shakira Is Officially a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominee

It’s official: Shakira might be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While many might assume that an induction is guaranteed, this is only the nomination stage. The Colombian superstar was announced as one of this year’s nominees, and even if she doesn’t make the final cut, she’s already making history as the first Colombian artist ever nominated.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination process is more complex than it seems. Artists become eligible 25 years after their first commercial release, and nominees are selected by a committee made up of artists, historians, journalists, and music industry professionals. From there, more than 1,200 voters cast ballots, alongside a fan vote that counts toward the final results. The official list of inductees is typically announced in the spring, with the ceremony taking place later in the year.

Last year, Maná became the first fully Spanish-language group ever nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though they did not make the final list of inductees. And if Shakira doesn’t make it this year, that doesn’t mean the door closes. Artists can be nominated multiple times. In fact, many major acts have appeared on the ballot more than once before eventually getting inducted, making this nomination more of a milestone than a one-time opportunity.

For Shakira, this nomination comes in a career that has spanned more than three decades. She released her debut album in the early 1990s, then broke into the English-language markets in the early 2000s, eventually reaching global pop stardom.

Mariah Carey is also among this year’s nominees, marking another Latina on the ballot. Carey has previously been nominated but has yet to be inducted, a reminder that nomination alone doesn’t guarantee a spot in the Hall, and that even some of the biggest commercial artists often require multiple attempts before making it in.

Whether or not Shakira ultimately walks away with induction this year, her nomination marks another milestone for Latine music’s expanding visibility. And as conversations around genre, global influence, and language continue to evolve, her presence on the ballot signals an evolution.