Phil Collins delivered one of the ceremony’s most emotional moments Saturday night, accepting his solo induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the crowd greeted him with an enormous ovation. The musician became tearful after slowly reaching the Peacock Theater stage with two canes, as reported by Page Six.

Mobility issues and other health problems prevented Collins from performing, but he addressed an audience that included his daughter, actor Lily Collins. His appearance marked a deeply personal milestone for an artist already inducted as a member of Genesis.

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker inducted Collins and celebrated his unusual success as both a drummer and a major pop singer during the 1980s. Collins reflected on the unexpected course of his career while accepting the honor.

Phil Collins’ emotional Rock Hall moment: “You haven't heard last of me” https://t.co/rWmLeK7qC8

— Classic Rock Magazine (@ClassicRockMag) November 15, 2026

“I grew up just wanting to play the drums,” Collins said. “Everything else has been a really happy accident. I can’t believe, when I look back, how life has gone.”

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Barker called Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” the source of “arguably the most badass drum fill of all time.” He then played the famous passage as Cynthia Erivo delivered a slower, epic version of the song that brought the crowd to its feet.

An emotional Travis Barker inducted Phil Collins into the Rock and Roll of Fame.

"I remember being a kid and purposely not changing my drumheads so my drums would sound like Phil Collins. I remember begging my parents for more toms because I wanted my drums to look like Phil Collins's kit. At one point, I even put two totally different drum kits together—nothing matched, but I didn't care because I wanted to be like Phil. And I remember watching him play drums in his music videos on MTV and VH1, and my mom would always tell me, 'That's the guy. That's the drummer you need to watch—look at him.' And she was right. I wanted to be just like him. "Songs like 'Sussudio,' 'Take Me Home,' 'Easy Lover,' and 'Against All Odds' were the soundtrack to my childhood. And then there's 'In the Air Tonight,' with arguably the most badass drum fill of all time. You don't even have to be a drummer to know that fill—when that part comes on, everyone plays air drums. And the funny thing is, you look at Phil and you don't necessarily expect such a huge sound to come out of him. Thor, maybe, but Phil Collins? Yes, Phil Collins, it was you. You made that sound... "Phil Collins became one of the biggest singers and songwriters in the world, and through all of it, he never stopped being a drummer, and I think that says everything about who he is. As Phil once said, 'Whatever else I am, I'm a drummer first.' "There aren't many artists who get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, but tonight Phil Collins becomes one of them, and I can't think of anyone more deserving." : Kevin Kane/Getty Images for RRHOF — CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) November 15, 2026

Collins has not been able to take the stage since 2022, but he ended his remarks with a promise. He assured the audience that “you haven’t heard the last of me.”

The ceremony also honored the late Luther Vandross, with Oprah Winfrey making an unannounced appearance to induct him. Winfrey described the R&B singer as “the maestro of the love song” and recalled that he had been named “the top artist that people make looove to.”

Vandross, known for his velvet voice, became one of the defining singers of the 1980s and 1990s before his death in 2005. “Luther Vandross sang with such passion and soul it could reach something deep inside that you didn’t even know needed to be reached,” Winfrey said.

Usher followed the tribute with a sultry medley of Vandross songs, including “Here and Now” and “So Amazing.” The performance added another emotional peak to a ceremony filled with major stars and expansive musical tributes.

Wu-Tang Clan transformed the theater into a rowdy celebration as its 10 current members crowded the stage. Supported by a large jazz band, the New York collective performed a medley featuring “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Method Man” and late member Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”

Comedian Chris Rock inducted the group, declaring, “Wu-Tang rewrote the rules of hip-hop and did it without a big machine behind them.” Group leader RZA celebrated their journey from Staten Island and said, “We wanted to make a mark. We made our mark.”

MC Lyte became the first artist inducted that evening, with Remy Ma calling her “one of the first women in hip-hop to make sure there was room for the rest of us.” Lyte described herself as a “B-girl from Brooklyn just looking for my chance to inspire and motivate.”

Megan Thee Stallion later inducted Queen Latifah and said the influential artist “taught us to recognize royalty within ourselves.” Wearing a leather crown that matched her leather trench coat and tie, Latifah acknowledged how unlikely the honor once seemed.

“It’s difficult enough being a woman in hip-hop, let alone being a hip-hopper in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Latifah said. She and MC Lyte then performed a medley including “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Ruffneck,” while Wu-Tang members and Public Enemy’s Chuck D joined from the audience.

Latifah and Lyte received the Early Influence Award alongside posthumous honorees Gram Parsons, Fela Kuti and Celia Cruz. Other inductees included Oasis, Sade, Iron Maiden and the jointly honored New Order and Joy Division.

U2 opened the show as a surprise, performing the new single “Silencio” amid dancers dressed in riot squad gear. The band then played its 1984 song “Pride (In the Name of Love),” with Bono raising a peace sign and a fist as the Edge and the other members performed.

Oasis did not attend, with Noel Gallagher playing in Britain and Liam Gallagher choosing not to come. Bob Odenkirk inducted the band before Stephen Wilson Jr. performed an acoustic version of “Wonderwall,” while Sade was honored through Andra Day’s induction and Sienna Spiro’s performance of “Smooth Operator.”

The Los Angeles ceremony returned to an edited broadcast model after several years of live streaming. The public is scheduled to see the edited version on ABC and Disney+ on Dec. 9.

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