Nine Inch Nails nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after Trent Reznor said getting inducted would be 'the worst'


The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees have arrived, but at least one prospective inductee may not be thrilled.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday the nominees for its 2020 ceremony, with the list of 16 including Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, Whitney Houston, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., and Soundgarden.
Funnily enough, Birth. Movies. Death.'s Scott Wampler points out, Nine Inch Nails picking up a nomination comes just a year after founder Trent Reznor publicly slammed the organization, saying he doesn't care about being snubbed and that he actually hopes not to get inducted.
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"I don't give a f—k!" Reznor told Sterogum in October 2018. "You know what I mean? I don't ... the worst would be if we did [get inducted] and then what? We'd have to f—in' show up and jam? I can't even imagine what that would be."
Reznor in the interview also asked "what could be less rock and roll than the f—in' Hall Of Fame" and said that while it's "nice to be appreciated," it's "nicer when it feels like that's coming from a place that you care about." At the time, Nine Inch Nails hadn't been nominated for two years in a row, though the band was nominated for the 2015 and 2016 ceremonies. Reznor inducted The Cure into the Hall of Fame earlier this year, suggesting in his speech their induction made him take the ceremony more seriously.
Fans can vote on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees online, and the "top five vote-getters in the public poll form one ballot, which is weighted the same as the rest of the submitted ballots" from industry professionals and historians, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says. But with Reznor last year sounding so decidedly not jazzed about getting inducted, he may well organize a "don't get out the vote" campaign.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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