Metallica up for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

London (ANI): Rock band Metallica have been nominated for next year's hall of fame class, along with Run DMC, The Stooges, the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has announced. Guitarist Jeff Beck, singer Wanda Jackson and disco group Chic have also been tipped for the honour.

The five winners will be announced in January and inducted into the Hall on April 4, 2009, in Cleveland. Artists can be considered for the honour 25 years after their first recording. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first rap act to be inducted into the Rock Hall in 2007.

Run DMC now have the chance to follow, on the strength its back catalogue of rock and rap mixes such as the 1986 cover of Aerosmith's Walk This Way. "It truly shows it's never a closed door for any artist to be nominated," BBC quoted Rock Hall foundation chief Joel Peresman, as saying.

Last year's inductees were Madonna, John Mellencamp, The Ventures, Leonard Cohen and The Dave Clark Five. More than 500 musicians, musical professionals and journalists cast vote on the inductions.