Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson lead 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's nominees for its class of 2023 includes a wide range of artists — from a country icon to a transcendent female rapper.

Driving the news: This year's ballot features 14 nominees, the fewest since 2010.

The nominees are:

• 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
• Warren Zevon

How it works: To be eligible, an artist had to release their first official recording at least 25 years prior to induction.

• 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.
• A voting pool of more than 1,000 music historians, journalists and previous inductees then selects 5-7 final inductees.

By the numbers: Missy Elliott and The White Stripes are newly eligible this year.

• Six artists — Kate Bush, The Spinners, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, A Tribe Called Quest and Iron Maiden — have been nominated at least once before.
• Joy Division and New Order, two bands inextricably tied together, count as one nominee. The Rock Hall has done that before with Parliament-Funkadelic and The Small Faces/Faces.

What they're saying: Joe Kwaczala, co-host of the "Who Cares About the Rock Hall?", podcast told Axios he's happy to see so many new names this year.

• "I'd still like to see more racial diversity," Kwaczala said. "But with Missy Elliott, we might be looking at the first Black woman to ever be inducted during her first year of eligibility."

What's next: The inductees will be announced in May.

• The induction ceremony will take place at a still-to-be-announced date and location this fall.