Up the Irons! Legendary metal outfit Iron Maiden have officially been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making the class of 2026 alongside the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Billy Idol, Oasis, New Order/Joy Division, Sade and more.
The long overdue news arrived on Monday night (April 13th), confirming that Maiden had officially made it into the Rock Hall upon their third nomination — the band has been eligible for inclusion since 2004, and had previously been nominated in 2021 and 2023.
The list of inducted members includes current members Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, as well as former members Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley and Clive Burr. The Rock Hall writes that “Iron Maiden built the template for how heavy metal should look, sound, and tour — and then spent four decades showing exactly how it’s done.”
“We’d like to thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for including us (and former members who were all part of our story) in the 2026 roll call of inductees,” longtime manager Rod Smallwood said in a statement. “Iron Maiden have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades. However, having said that, it’s always nice to be recognised and honoured for any achievements within the music industry too.”
As previously reported, Dickinson has been frosty over the concept of the Rock Hall in years past, once telling the The Jerusalem Post that he would refuse to accept Maiden’s inclusion in the Hall, should they be inducted.
He added: “Rock & roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”
Dickinson has not yet commented on the band’s Rock Hall tribute. The induction ceremony takes place November 14th at the Peacock theater in Los Angeles.
In other news, Maiden’s Burning Ambition documentary is set to hit movie theaters for a limited engagement starting May 7th. You can find out more about your local screenings here.