Mariah Carey Has Iconically Unbothered Reaction After She's Snubbed By Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame For Third Year In A Row

The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for November 14 in Los Angeles, California. Each year, a new batch of inductees are announced, and each year fans ask why their favorite artist didn't make it or why another artist did.

Seventeen individuals and groups were on this year's list of nominees.

According to the Hall of Fame, artists whose first commercial album was released a minimum of 25 years before are eligible to be nominated for induction by a specialized committee. The nominees are then voted on by a group of over 1,200 music industry experts based on musical influence, innovation, and career legacy, with fan votes collectively contributing one ballot.

Each year, the top five to eight highest vote getters are inducted into the Hall of Fame, which is located in Cleveland, Ohio.

This year's inductees are: Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan, and Luther Vandross. Nominees that didn't make the cut this year are: The Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, P!nk, Shakira, and fan vote winner New Edition.

Because of the process, some nominees may be passed over more than once.

TMZ caught up with Mariah Carey to ask about her third time making the ballot as well as her third snub after people considered her a lock for induction.

Carey still holds the record—ahead of Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Madonna—for most number one songs by a female solo artist at 19.

Swift and Rihanna aren't eligible for induction until 2031. Madonna was inducted in 2008, her first year of eligibility.

On Monday, in what appeared to be New York where Carey has put her home on the market for $27 million, a TMZ reporter asked if she cared about being passed over.

The diva known for her five-octave vocal range simply replied:

"No."

You can see the exchange here:

When the TMZ reporter asked for more, Carey responded:

"Yeah, who cares? Give it to somebody else. Fantastic!"

Responding to a question about her 2026 holiday plans, Carey replied:

"Soon ... Christmas is going on, yes."

Carey, dubbed the "Queen of Christmas," became synonymous with the season because of her song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" being a seasonal staple since it was released in 1994.

People had thoughts on the third snub.

Others being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November are, for the Early Influence Award: Cuban-American singer and Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz; Nigerian musician, Afrobeat creator, and political activist Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì; Grammy-winning rapper, singer, actress, producer, author, and entrepreneur Queen Latifah; rapper-songwriter MC Lyte; and musician with the Byrds, International Submarine Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers Gram Parsons.

For the Musical Excellence Award: songwriter, lyricist, background singer and record producer Linda Creed; music producer Arif Mardin; record producer and musician Jimmy Miller; and record producer and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings Rick Rubin.

And for the Ahmet Ertegun Award: television host, writer, and entertainment reporter Ed Sullivan, whose variety program that ran from 1948 to 1971 introduced many rock and roll performers to the public.

The induction ceremony is set to stream on Disney+ and will air on ABC in December 2026.