The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has postponed its annual induction ceremony due to escalating concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
Originally scheduled for May 2 in Cleveland, where the organization is headquartered, this year's event will instead take place at a later date yet to be determined, Rock Hall President Joel Peresman said in a statement provided to Rolling Stone.
"We are very disappointed to announce the postponement" of the ceremony, Peresman said. "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. We look forward to rescheduling the ceremony and will make that announcement at the earliest convenience."
Artists due to be inducted in 2020 include the Notorious B.I.G., Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, T. Rex and Whitney Houston.
The ceremony, expected to include performances by some of the inductees, was set to be broadcast live for the first time on HBO, which previously had aired edited excerpts from the show in the weeks after the annual event.
The Rock Hall's announcement follows other coronavirus-related cancellations and postponements in the music world, including the scrapping of this year's South by Southwest conference and Coachella's move from April to October.
