THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2012 INDUCTEES; CEREMONY TO AIR ON HBO; TICKETS ON SALE BEGINNING DEC. 16

CLEVELAND, Dec. 7, 2011 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its inductees for 2012 today. The inductees are:

Performer Category
Beastie Boys
Donovan
Guns N' Roses
Laura Nyro
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Small Faces/The Faces

Early Influence
Freddie King

Ahmet Ertegun (nonperformer) Award
Don Kirshner

The Award for Musical Excellence
Cosimo Matassa
Tom Dowd
Glyn Johns

The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Saturday, April 14, 2012 in Cleveland and debut on HBO in early May. The 2012 ceremony will again be open to the public, as it was - for the first time in the event's history - at the 2009 inductions in Cleveland.

"We are pleased to announce this year's Hall of Fame inductees, who represent the broad spectrum of artists that define rock and roll," says Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. "We are also thrilled this year to again be partnered with HBO, who presented the Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concerts."

"Our previous collaboration with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was a landmark television event," says Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. "We are delighted to team up with the Hall of Fame again for what should be a memorable evening."

Leading up to the April 14 ceremony, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will host more than a week of special events, including the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's new Library and Archives, tours of the newly-redesigned Museum interior space, the unveiling of a major new exhibition, the Rock My Soul gospel tribute, a free concert for Cleveland and a special series of education programs designed to teach students across the nation about the history and impact of rock and roll. Once open, the Library and Archives will be the world's most comprehensive repository of written and audio-visual materials relating to the history of rock and roll.

Ticket Purchase Information

Tickets to the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony go on sale to the public on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET. To purchase tickets, visit rockhall.com or call (877) 212-8898. (Please note this number will not be activated until the on-sale dates.) Tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Individual tickets to the Induction Ceremony are available for $50 and $100. There will be a two-ticket limit on all orders.

Member Pre-Sale Information

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum members can purchase Induction 2012 tickets in advance, beginning Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). To purchase tickets, visit rockhall.com or call (877) 212-8898. (Please note this number will not be activated until the on-sale dates.) To be eligible for the member pre-sale, fans must become members by 11:00 p.m. (ET) on Dec. 12, 2011 and have a valid member ID. To join, please call (216) 515-8425 or visit rockhall.com.

The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week is only possible through the generous support of corporate sponsors: Horseshoe Casino, PNC Bank and Medical Mutual of Ohio. Additional generous sponsors include the City of Cleveland, the State of Ohio, Positively Cleveland, John P. Murphy Foundation, Forest City Charitable Enterprises, Kulas Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Greater Cleveland Partnership and Cuyahoga Art and Culture.

The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees were chosen by more than 500 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording.

Induction Ceremony presenters, the HBO airdate and additional details about the week of events will be announced at a later date.

All inductees are ultimately represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Through approaches as creative and diverse as the music itself, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum tells the story of rock music with its exhibits, education programs and library and archives.

About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established by legendary record executive Ahmet Ertegun and a group of music business executives to honor the artists that have defined rock and roll and have inspired and continue to inspire a generation. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum designed by I.M. Pei in Cleveland, Ohio that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives, as well as educational programs. For further information, please visit rockhall.com.