The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t some sweet Mariah Carey fantasy.
When TMZ asked the singer if he was upset that he wasn’t included in the 2026 Hall of Fame list, the Grammy winner replied, “No, you’re right.”
“Who cares?” Carrie continued. “Give it to someone else. It’s great.”
The superstar added that he is happy that others are recognizing his talent.
“I’ve always loved my fans,” the “Obsessed” crooner said of his cult following.
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years ago.
Carey debuted her first album in 1990 and became eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2015.
The pop star was also nominated in 2024 and 2025, but to no avail.
Carey was nominated for 2026 in February, along with Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Iron Maiden, Luther Vandross and Shakira.
The hall attracts a wide net that includes artists from the rap, metal, hip-hop, R&B, blues-rock, pop and Britpop genres.
This year’s list includes a total of 17 performer nominations, with Sade, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, New Edition, and Wu-Tang Clan also nominated.
“This talented and diverse list of nominees recognizes the evolving face and sound of rock and roll and its continued impact on youth culture,” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President John Sykes said in a statement at the time.
Earlier this month, Pink and Hill were also barred from the Hall of Fame.
Nominees will be voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry experts.
The awards ceremony will be held on November 14th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The show will then air on ABC and Disney+ in December.
Although Carey was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
She has also won numerous awards, including 19 No. 1 hits, and is currently a five-time Grammy Award winner.
Carey’s 1994 holiday tune “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart every year.
In January, the Christmas Queen was named MusiCares’ 2026 Person of the Year and revealed she has remained humble through it all.
“I don’t consider myself a legend,” Carey admitted to Billboard at the time. “I’m still working, I’m still trying.”
“I’ve always worked really hard because I wanted to be here a long time. One of the lessons I learned was just to be true to myself. And I’ve been lucky to be able to do that. There were some things along the way that weren’t ideal, but I’m here.”
