Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti, is currently topping the voting chart of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee list as Nigerians are currently voting en masse.
Several Nigerian celebrities including Burna Boy, Mr Macaroni, and Don Jazzy have taken to Twitter to call on their fans to vote for the Afrobeat pioneer.
Let’s get the legend FELA KUTI inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of fame! https://t.co/5BMTmt3ivW
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) February 11, 2021
Come on Nigerians ! We can do this. This is our Baba Fela we are talking about o. https://t.co/Igjp7EKnAk
Vote for Fela Anikulapo Kuti for a well-deserved place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame🇳🇬💪🏿
— IT’S DON JAZZY AGAIN (@DONJAZZY) February 12, 2021
As of press time, Fela is leading the votes with 75538 votes while Tina Turner is following closing with 56464 votes on the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fan voting official page.
They are both followed closely by Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden with 44934 and 34876 votes respectively.
The top five inductees are selected by public vote and the Fan Vote is now officially open. From Wednesday through April 30, fans can vote for up to five nominees daily. The inductees will be announced in May.
Artistes become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. In order to be inducted, an artiste must be nominated by a committee that selects a number of candidates, the highest being 16 for the 2020 class.
The legendary singer is appearing on the list for the first time.
Other first-timers on the list include the Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Blige, Iron Maiden, and Dionne Warwick. Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner, who make up nearly half of the 16 potential honorees.
LL Cool J has been nominated 6 times, including in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2019.
In a statement, John Sykes, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation chair, described this year’s nominations as the most racially diverse since 1996 with nine people of colour making the cut.
