Madonna, Beastie Boys among new Rock Hall nominees

Madonna, John Mellencamp and the Beastie Boys are among the latest nominees vying for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Also nominated for the Rock Hall's Class of 2008 are Leonard Cohen, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, The Ventures, Donna Summer and The Dave Clark Five, according to various published reports.

From that group, five acts will be inducted into the Rock Hall during a March 10 ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, though the inductees will be announced in December.

The inductees were chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock Hall 25 years after their first recording is released.

R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock Hall earlier this year.