Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper Among 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

The Spinners and A Tribe Called Quest also appear on the roster.

The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees have been announced, and surprisingly, this year's list of possible inductees is the shortest since 2010.

The newly-unveiled ballot includes 14 musicians across a wide range of genres: A Tribe Called Quest, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, The Spinners, The White Stripes, and Warren Zevon.

In order to be eligible for the honor, artists must have released their first official record at least 25 years prior to induction. That said, these are no newcomers to the game—they've have proven career longevity and cultural impact.

Here's how it works: a nominating committee of music industry heavyweights creates a ballot based on factors like musical influence, body of work and innovation, according to the Rock Hall. After a list is compiled, a voting pool of over 1,000 music historians, journalists and previous inductees select 5-7 final stars.

As of this year, Missy Elliott and Willie Nelson are newly-eligible, while several of the names that appear on the lineup have been previously-nominated (at least once before, but possibly more), including Kate Bush, The Spinners, Rage Against the Machine, A Tribe Called Quest and Iron Maiden.

"I'd still like to see more racial diversity," Joe Kwaczala, co-host of the "Who Cares About the Rock Hall?" podcast, told Axios of the choices. "But with Missy Elliott, we might be looking at the first Black woman to ever be inducted during her first year of eligibility."

As for who will officially enter into the famed achievement group, we'll have to stay tuned until they're announced later this year. The picks will be revealed in May, with an induction ceremony to take place at a still-to-be-announced date and location this fall.