Country Music Hall of Fame Sets 2024 Inductee Announcement
The Country Music Association will be announcing the 2024 inductee class to the Country Music Hall of Fame on Monday, March 18th at 10:00 a.m. Central from the Hall of Fame rotunda in Nashville. Hall of Fame inductees Brooks & Dunn will be hosting the announcement, and it will be live streamed on the CMA’s YouTube Channel. You can find an embedded player below.
To see Saving Country Music’s picks and predictions for the 2024 Hall of Fame class, CLICK HERE.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are selected through a committee process appointed by the Country Music Association (CMA). The selection process has been split up into three categories:
1) Modern Era – Eligible for induction 20 years after they first achieve “national prominence.” 2) Veterans Era – Eligible for induction 40 years after they first achieve “national prominence.” 3) Non-Performer, Songwriter, and Recording and/or Touring Musician active prior to 1980 – Rotates every 3 years. If there is a tie in voting in any category, two names can be selected, as we saw in 2021.
With non-performer Joe Galante selected in 2022, and songwriter Bob McDill selected in 2023, it would be a recording and/or touring musician selected in 2024. Though this could also be a performer, the point of this category is to highlight someone primarily known as a musician, and someone who may not get into the Hall of Fame otherwise.
Since the Country Music Hall of Fame process is secretive, we do not know who is being considered for induction in the three categories. 2023 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame were Patty Loveless in the Modern Era category, Tanya Tucker in the Veternan’s Era category, and songwriter Bob McDill.
Check back on Monday as Saving Country Music covers the announcement in real time.
March 13, 2024 @ 9:08 am
I’m sure there’s a logistical or news-cycle-based reason for it, but 10 AM on a workday seems like a pretty suboptimal time slot for this sort of announcement.
March 13, 2024 @ 9:35 am
Every single thing the Country Music Hall of Fame does around the induction process, the announcement, and the actual induction ceremony itself is suboptimal. Where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame uses this process to promote the institution and generate water cooler talk, the Country Music Hall of Fame induction comes and goes so fleetingly, and feels very very exclusive. I think this is huge missed opportunity for them every year.
March 13, 2024 @ 10:09 am
Trigger, we may have a different perspective on this. But I don’t think it’s sub optimal in the sense that I think it’s exactly how they want to do things.
The country music Hall of Fame has deliberately remained this austere, exclusive environment that doesn’t just focus on who’s popular and successful, or has media clout or make a spectacle. Very little media coverage is given any of this. It’s one of the most exclusive awards in the world.
And I think that’s by design. I think the decision to let it come and go without generating too much media hype is part of the process. Specifically, so they don’t get inundated with media think pieces, random petitions, and sympathy votes and social media noise that detracts from the mission of recognizing country music’s greatest contributors
So I’m not entirely sure what opportunities you think they are missing, except drawing more media attention to the people who are getting inducted, but I think the opportunities you say, they are missing our opportunities. They choose not to pursue in the first place.
It isn’t really a missed opportunity if it’s not something you were aiming for in the first place
Sure, more media attention for somebody like Bob McDill Is hard to characterized as anything more than positive
But with the massive amount of qualified inductees, being carefully scrutinized to ensure that only truly deserving people get inducted, more press, and more media, and with it more people clamoring to get their favorites in whether they are deserving or not, muddies the waters, and generally detract from the overall point, which is recognizing the greatest contributors. The more publicity around it, the more it turns into a popularity contest, and an award (praise) instead of recognition (appreciation)
The country music, Hall of Fame, deliberately refrains from making something that is in effect an award, feel like something that should be celebrated, earned, or treated like an award. In essence, it is a gift given in thanks for contributing to country music
And turning it into an award, probably detracts from the spirit of the whole enterprise
I assume that is what goes through the minds of the people making these decisions
And frankly, in this modern media climate, which is so misunderstanding of the history of country music, outside of being formerly, a genre of nasally people, singing about their trucks, and their dead dogs leaving them which finally became modernized when they let women in Black people make it and removed all the acoustic instruments
You got a remember that the people who follow social media believe this ridiculous narrative, and these are the majority of the people who are going to interact with any social media information about the country music Hall of Fame.
Can you imagine the Twitter warriors who have probably never heard of any of the people likely to be inducted this year finding out that somebody they haven’t heard of his being inducted into an institution they’ve never heard of any genre They are trying to take over?
And even if that’s a bit of a wild expectation, what do you think social media would look like if people were waiting on the country music Hall of Fame nominations with bated breath ?
It will be one positive comment from somebody who appreciates the decision drowning in a sea of dissent because whichever overlooked country artist dujour didn’t make it
The country music Hall of Fame is probably wise to steer clear of the media and journalism hullabaloo and keep the whole process as dignified as possible
March 13, 2024 @ 10:32 am
For instance, let’s say that Roy Lee centers, Josh turner, and shot Jackson are the inductees this year
Josh turner is one of the most deserving people in the modern era. The dude made a huge splash with that Train song, collaborated with John Anderson, Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, and Ricky Skaggs, And quickly became one of the RFD-TV favorite modern country singers, who shows up almost all of their TV shows
Centers might be a longshot, but if we are taking seriously inducting Keith Whitley, we have to seriously consider Roy Lee centers being qualified
Suppose that was a big televised or live streamed event that had been advertised on Facebook and Twitter for a month
Most of the people who could appreciate the induction of Josh turner, Roy Lee centers, or shot Jackson, frequent this comments section
And the greater Internet or TV world at large, would be casting pearls before swine, all of them would probably wig out that someone they’d heard of haven’t gotten inducted, whether or not the people being inducted were qualified. And then it falls on the institution to provide the burden of proof, and explain why these people are being inducted
And if there’s one thing we can all agree on when it comes to people who don’t know what they’re talking about, is that they’re more interested in talking about it, than knowing it
Meaning that you could write a doctoral thesis about why roy Lee centers deserves to be in the country music Hall of Fame And people who didn’t already come to that conclusion on their own merits won’t except it no matter how qualified you are to speak on the subject
There is literally no point to going through the process
And somebody is going to see that educating people about country music history should be terribly important
It is. No one believes that more than I do
But I also have the recognition of the situation to know that people who aren’t interested in learning about it aren’t worth going through the trouble of teaching them
March 13, 2024 @ 12:20 pm
Fuzzy,
I agree with your central point, which I believe you are saying, the CMHOF doesn’t want the social media plague raining on their event with negativity. That’s most likely true.
This Roy Lee Centers for HOF thought, I don’t understand why you think he should be there. Bluegrass Hall of Fame, yes.
Most glaringly, Roy’s old boss Dr. Ralph Stanley ought to be in there first don’t you think? And how about Ralph and Carter together, The Stanley Brothers. We’ve been talking about this for a while. Look, Centers isn’t going in before his employer. Ralph is the legend, period. His influence is vast and deep. Most folks don’t even know who Centers is. I get your reasoning, you think that with Keith Whitley in, and seeing as Whitley sang with Stanley before his solo career, then logically because Centers also sang with Stanley, he should be in. The truth of the matter is Keith Whitley blew up big time in his solo career, and it’s his solo recordings that are most influential today. Whitley got in more on that than his bluegrass material, great as it was. Lorrie Morgan campaigned hard to get him in, and it happened.
March 13, 2024 @ 1:26 pm
Let’s get Ralph and Carter Stanley in the CMHoF before we talk about Roy Lee, okay?
March 13, 2024 @ 12:41 pm
I understand that the Hall of Fame does not want to turn its induction cycle into a spectacle, and they also want to be austere with who they induct. But that is different from putting out at least some even cursory effort to engage and inform the public about the existence and importance of the Country Music Hall of Fame through the process. Ultimately, for the Hall of Fame to survive and thrive into the future, it needs people paying attention to it and visiting it, buying stuff in the gift shop, etc.
Barely anyone knows this announcement is even coming on Monday. And as the previous commenter said, since it is happening on a Monday morning which is when news notoriously gets buried, barely anyone will pay attention. It will come and go like a fart in the wind.
There is also a difference between turning all of this into a spectacle, and being so exclusive that it feels like only a small insular group of connected people in Nashville are involved, which is basically what we have right now. The CMA Theater where the induction seats less than 800 people. Simply having it at the Ryman would triple the capacity, and allow more of the press to cover it.
No outlet covers the Hall of Fame process more or deeper than myself. They have never even considered my requests for press credentials. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old reporter for the local NBC affiliate in Nashville has a spot in the CMA Theater whether they take advantage of it or not, because that’s always the way it’s been. It’s a broken system that doesn’t serve anyone’s purposes, and makes the Hall of Fame induction process feel like a blue-blooded exclusive clique, furthering the loss of connection actual fans feel with this institution.
Also, I disagree that they are doing all of this to avoid negative social media chatter or bad press. To an institution like the Country Music Hall of Fame, that’s the definition of “noise.” And as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proves each year, it’s better to have everyone talking about it than nobody. People arguing over who should be inducted is a good, healthy thing. People summarily ignoring it is the bad one.
March 13, 2024 @ 12:46 pm
Fuzzy, I think you’re right that more media coverage would result in more speculation and more of a conversation around certain artists. But that doesn’t mean they need to listen. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame certainly doesn’t. Rock fans have been begging them to induct Warren Zevon for years and instead they continue to induct pop, hip hop and now country artists. The Oscar for Best Picture this year did happen to go to a massive blockbuster, but that’s the first time that’s happened in probably two decades, since Lord of the Rings. Maybe some people last year were really pulling for Top Gun: Maverick or the Avatar sequel to win and maybe once it hit streaming they decided to find out why Everything Everywhere All at Once was deemed a better movie.
The same thing can happen here. Sure, people would be pushing for Jason Aldean and Big & Rich. They may also become curious enough to find out the the CMHOF inducted Dwight Yoakam instead and that can be nothing but positive.
March 14, 2024 @ 5:07 pm
The Hall of Fame didn’t need more journalists to write think pieces (an oxymoron) about how the genre is an evil bastion of White men.
The lack of attention is fine. Country music runs into problems when it tries to be popular.
March 13, 2024 @ 10:38 am
Clint Black, The Gatlins and Crystal Gayle are all in Nashville Saturday night to play the Opry. This might be a clue.
March 13, 2024 @ 12:03 pm
Clint is definitely a clue given how rarely he plays the Opry. He’s more than deserving.
The Gatlins and Crystal play the Opry with some regularity and both were rumored to be finalists this year. If I had to guess I’d say it’s more likely that Crystal will go this year. Also very deserving and sad it didn’t happen when Loretta was still alive.
Musician will be tough as there numerous deserving candidates. I admire and respect most of them and will be happy for whoever is chosen.
I like the fact the Hall is limited but at the same time feel there needs to be a “Pioneer” category added or a Veteran’s Committee (like baseball) so that deserving acts of long ago aren’t forgotten.
March 13, 2024 @ 12:25 pm
Trigger, have they ever clarified whether or not Toby Keith will be eligible this year? I thought I heard that voting was already underway when he passed and my guess is that he was probably racking up quite a few sympathy votes already. But I’m not sure if those votes will actually count or if he’s now disqualified for a year. If he is eligible, my money is on him.
March 13, 2024 @ 12:45 pm
I do not have a concrete answer. But as it was explained to me, since Toby Keith’s death happened either right when voting was taking place or shortly thereafter, he still would qualify. It’s the year after you died that you’re ineligible. I don’t know the exact dates voting were taking place. But if he died during voting, I definitely think it could have an effect.
March 13, 2024 @ 10:43 pm
If Toby’s death occurred AFTER the voting had taken place, and it turned out that he received enough votes to get in, then, of course, he should be inducted.
But if the voting was still going on when he died, then he should be ineligible until next year. Either that, or they should just get rid of the ineligibility rule. There would be no point to having the ineligibility rule if a performer could get elected, literally while his untimely death is a receiving major coverage in the national media.
March 14, 2024 @ 2:48 am
I believe this was the case in 1998 when Tammy Wynette was nominated in the Active Performer category (performer still living). She died in April of ’98, after the nomination process had already started, and they left her in the Active category. Tammy went on to defeat Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, and Bill Anderson in that category. Meanwhile in 1998’s Inactive Performer category (deceased performer), there was a tie between George Morgan and Elvis.
March 13, 2024 @ 4:10 pm
I NEVER USE ALL CAPS BUT THIS IS WORTH IT…..STANLEY BROTHERS PLEASE
March 13, 2024 @ 7:01 pm
Johnny Horton!!! I’ve been saying it for decades! Maddox Brothers and Rose. The Stanley Brothers. Lynn Anderson. Mickey Gilley. Crystal Gayle. Eddie Rabbitt. Stonewall Jackson. Wynn Stewart. And for newer folks, obviously Dwight Yoakam and Clint Black. Maybe even a dark horse Rosanne Cash somewhere down the line. She had a big 80s decade.
March 14, 2024 @ 2:53 am
Does anyone else get the impression that they will NOT elect Dwight Yoakam in the Modern Era category unless he agrees to come to Nashville and make appearances to receive the award? I say appearances, plural, because a recipient is first expected to attend the HOF announcement press conference in the spring — and then attend the actual induction ceremony in the fall.
March 15, 2024 @ 7:56 pm
There’s no reason to think Dwight needs to be “blackmailed” into attenging his own H-o-F induction. Waylon is about the only inductee who chose not to attend his, and he was sick and hurting, by then.
March 16, 2024 @ 1:54 am
Waylon didn’t hide his disdain for the Nashville establishment. I think he even once said he didn’t want to belong to any Hall of Fame that didn’t have Carl Smith in it. Hope I’m not misquoting him. I think the HOF wants inductees to feel honored and be very grateful, so I don’t think they would have inducted him in a normal year and take the chance of him skipping out on his ceremony or criticizing them in interviews. (The CMA can’t handle insults to the Hall.).
I believe this is part of the reason Waylon got voted in in a very abnormal year — 2001, the year an unprecedented 12 inductees were elected all at once, in an attempt to “catch up.” With so many other inductees around to share the spotlight that year, I think the HOF gambled that no one would notice Waylon’s absence or any words of criticism he might level at the Hall. (Actually, I don’t remember what Waylon’s reaction was back in 2001.) I heard years later that the Hall had planned for 2001 to be a year with normal inductions . . . and that Bill Anderson had been elected in the Performer category and that Sam Phillips had been elected in the Non-Performer category. If this is accurate, they were actually going to induct Bill Anderson AHEAD of Waylon.
In 2019, I read LOTS of negative comments online the day Ray Stevens was announced as the Veterans-Era inductee. Country music fans, myself included, were outraged that Hank, Jr. had been passed over yet again. Some were even publicly dissing Ray online, which is a shame, since I believe Ray DOES belong in the Hall, just not in front of Hank, Jr. I think the reason the HOF put off Hank’s induction as long as they did is basically the same reason they may have been worried about Waylon (will Hank show up and, if so, what will he say about us?). Hank was inducted in 2020, in the midst of the COVID lockdowns, when there was no announcement ceremony for him to boycott. Hank DID attend the actual induction ceremony (along with 2020’s other inductees, Marty Stuart, Dean Dillon, but their ceremony wasn’t held until Nov. 2021, after public gathering restrictions had been relaxed).
So I wonder about Dwight. He deserves induction this year or next, in my opinion. If the Hall doesn’t elect him, I’ll continue to wonder if it’s because they don’t think he’ll show up.
March 16, 2024 @ 9:02 am
I think people almost universally understate the significance of ray stevens.
Sure, all of his memorable hits (let’s say he’s best remembered for Mississippi squirrel and the streak) were novelty, but we have to remember how big the ray stevens brand is.
The dude has been consistently working for decades, with different short lived series and programs, even if none of them stuck.
He’s charted tons of memorable tunes over prolonged periods, played trumpet on Elvis sessions, and has generally been a consistent part of the country music institution, and a part of that weird b-list world of RFD-TV where tons of people important to country music but not a part of the mainstream cycle wind up.
in fact, RFD-TV as an institution has been so important to country music a whole article could be written about it. and probably should! RFD-TV gave us years of hee haw reruns, porter wagoner marty stuart and wilburn bros. plus stan hitchcock’s show, pop goes the country and reflections from the circle. larry’s country diner.
and ray stevens has been a part of that. where lots of people important to country music are exposed to audiences in the not-as-obsolete-as-every-one-says realm of tv where knowing your audience and delivering what they want to see can make a channel swell.
Plus those ray stevens VHS sold like hotcakes. you can find them at yard sales and secondhand stores sometimes 3 and 4 deep. everyone had one. they’re as commonplace as sing along with mitch records.
March 16, 2024 @ 9:20 am
I don’t have a problem with Ray Stevens going in. I have a problem with Ray Stevens going in before other clearly more deserving artists. With so few slots, it makes each pick and when it’s made weigh so heavy. If Dwight Yoakam and The Stanley Brothers were already in, we wouldn’t worry as much about Ray having already gotten his shoulder tap.
March 16, 2024 @ 12:36 pm
Dwight is very respectful–and even reverent–of country music’s history, with his salutes to Buck Owens, and Horton and Elvis et al. There’s been no hint anywhere that he would not show up for his H-o-F induction, if it happens.
Waylon was a complicated guy with a lot of self-contradictions from time to time. He was not happy with how he was ignored in the ’90s, when he was still making good new music on Independent labels and he probably felt his H-o-F induction was a bit belated. And by the time he was elected in 2001, he was quite sick with diabetes and was being pushed in a wheelchair. He visited the H-o-F that year and met with the museum director. He didn’t appear for his induction in October, but he had a foot amputated in December, in Arizona, and he was dead by February. I don’t think it’s fair to ascribe any motive to why he didn’t appear for his induction. He was literally on his last legs and in a lot of pain.
March 14, 2024 @ 5:44 pm
Who do you guys think will enter the Hall of Fame this year on Monday?.
March 15, 2024 @ 10:14 pm
If I were to put in my serious guesses, I’d say the Veteran category is probably between Crystal Gayle, Maddox Brothers & Rose or John Anderson. And the Modern category is probably between Clint Black, Shania Twain or Dwight Yoakam. But that depends on whether Toby Keith is eligible or not.
March 16, 2024 @ 1:24 am
My favorites for the Veteran-Era category are The Stanley Brothers, Eddie Rabbitt, and Crystal Gayle. In the Modern-Era category, I would choose Dwight Yoakam or Clint Black. In the Musician category, I’d pick Buddy Emmons or Jerry Byrd.
March 16, 2024 @ 7:20 am
Again, Stonewall Jackson or The Wilburn Brothers won’t get in. Why?? Long deserve it. I think Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper should be in to.
March 16, 2024 @ 8:44 am
I think for Stonewall, the lack of a late-career resurgence, the fact that not all of hits hits have stood the test of time as genuine gold country standards (who really thinks ‘i wanna listen to waterloo’ all that often?)
I hope it’s not because he’s named after a certain figure that might draw political dissenters out of the woodwork but you never know.
I think Stonewall is a longshot.
The Wilburn Brothers were a ‘tv’ act. yeah yeah they had Loretta on their show for years but as Teddy and Doyle their chart performance was average at best, then one of their best albums being basically an episode of their tv show definitely couches them as entertainers as opposed to serious country artists.
They deserve to get in but certainly not before some of the more deserving veterans.
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper are very unlikely. i think how traditional they were even for their time might actually be detrimental to them getting in at all, because the CMHOF might leave it to the bluegrass hall of fame to recognize Wilma Lee and Stoney the way they seem to be doing with Ralph Stanley.
It makes sense?? i guess. but it does make one wonder.
March 16, 2024 @ 7:58 am
I think anyone that gets in will deserve the honor but it will still be a travesty that so many deserving the honor will not get in. I’ve never been a fan of the thought that limiting your membership to a narrow few somehow boosts your prestige. Particularly when you have members that clearly aren’t as great as some not in. If you have some specific measurement that members have to have reached to qualify I have zero issue with a narrow view but I find with these hall of fame votings, this isn’t the case. It’s all subjective and perspective. I would much rather have a hall of fame that has a few that one could argue aren’t deserving vs one where you could argue a lot not in it are more deserving than those that are in it. Having more in just creates more debate over who the greatest of the greatest are which is always fun where as having fewer just creates unnecessary divides
March 16, 2024 @ 8:52 am
I’ll say ‘trust the process’ on this one. They obviously go to great lengths to make sure that the people working on these things know what they’re doing. it’s one of the most meticulous, fact-checked processes in the world.
And trust the track record. are there really any inductees that people are unsure of?
I would rather a select few get in that everyone on the outside can at least agree on.
It’s better than a hundred worthy be overlooked than one unworthy be let in. Because once one gets in, its’ only going to get worse.
If we let fgl in, then aldean luke bryan and even blake shelton (who openly disparaged Country Music on tv and by all rights should not be up for consideration at all) might be eligible.
Even one of those acts could open the door for Bebe Rhexha to get in.
And i would rather see a hundred deserving acts shut out than see the hall be compromised.
And really, the process works.
Can you point to anyone in the hall that people could seriously question if they deserved it? If you look at the list of members, their worthiness is almost universally agreed upon.
The fact that any institution can have such a vote of confidence among fans of the genre is not to be taken lightly. in fact, people argue more about who deserves to get in next than who doesn’t deserve to get in.
March 17, 2024 @ 11:41 pm
“Can you point to anyone in the hall that people could seriously question if they deserved it?”
Yes. Hubert Long, Roy Horton, Grant Turner, DeFord Bailey, George Morgan, Patsy Montana, Jim Ed Brown and the Browns, Connie Smith, Bill Carlisle, Jerry Bradley, Marty Stuart, Johnny Bond, and Mac Wiseman.
March 16, 2024 @ 6:25 pm
Hopin for jeanne seely this year, as she was the top girl singer for about 4 years starting in 1966 and then helped jack green in the 70’s sell out big shows.
March 17, 2024 @ 12:46 pm
Jeannie Seely did have a legitimate, bona fide all-time hit with “Don’s Touch Me.” But she was never the “top girl singer”–she had only one other solo top 10 hit (and one with Greene).
But Seely certainly has someone pulling for her. Her Wikipedia page presents her as a major figure and is as big as Loretta Lynn’s–and bigger than those of major, historical American singing stars like Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee and Roberta Flack, not to mention female country pioneer Kitty Wells.
If Seely does not get into the H-o-F, it won’t be for lack of trying.
March 17, 2024 @ 1:51 pm
I like Jeannie as a personality but in no real universe was she ever remotely the “top girl singer”. Her fame is due to the fact she’s an engaging personality who benefited from repeated exposure on RFD programming and who has a dedicated promotions team behind her. Aside from having a single monster hit written by her then husband (Hank Cochran) her recording career was rather pedestrian.
March 17, 2024 @ 9:46 pm
You can’t put Jeannie Seely in the hall without Jack Green being in the hall. Jack Green had the # 1s and swept up on awards in the late 60s and early 70s. Although she does seem to be a good ambassador for country music.