Soundgarden have officially been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with actor Jim Carey doing the honours. 

The grunge legends, who helped define the 90s grunge era, have received three nominations since 2013 when they first became eligible - and this year, they finally got the nod. 

Carrey’s speech was animated, funny and heartfelt. He spoke about meeting the band at Saturday Night Live back in 1996, and recalled watching them rehearse ‘Pretty Noose’, describing it as “an audio baptism.”

Wrapping up his speech, Carrey said: “Tonight, we make sure that Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd go down as one of the most majestic, powerful and influential bands ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

Chris Cornell’s daughter Lillian then took the stage to thank fans for keeping her dad’s music alive. 

“I am just really, really happy that he got to make music with his friends,” she said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. I know how much purpose that gave him, and how much it’s meant to people who have heard that music. That’s what I’ll be holding in my heart tonight.”

Following Lillian’s heartfelt speech, Soundgarden’s surviving members - Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd and original bassist Hiro Yamamoto - accepted the honour. 

Each member took their turn to speak, and every word hit with honesty and gratitude.

Yamamoto gave one of the most powerful moments of the night, dedicating the award to Cornell and reflecting on his own family’s history. “Chris, we are missing you tonight,” he said. “We would not be here without you.” He also urged the crowd to “take the power back and keep the dialogue alive,” drawing a link between art, empathy, and action.

Matt Cameron followed with a roll call of shoutouts to friends, producers, and peers, ending with a message for the “misfits, loners, and introverts who found comfort and solace” in Soundgarden’s music. “I love you, Chris,” he said simply.

Thayil thanked their fans for 40 years of loyalty and shared a story about how the band’s chemistry came from curiosity and trust: “If one of us ever hesitated to share an idea, Chris would be the first to say, ‘Let’s just try it out and see….’ I miss him, I love him, and I love all my Soundgarden brothers.” 

Ben Shepherd wrapped things up with a short and sweet message in his native language that translated to “We’re side by side. Let’s go forward.”

Following the speeches, Soundgarden hit the stage with a stacked line up including Taylor Momsen, Mike McCready, Nancy Wilson, Cornell’s eldest daughter Toni and more. 

Really beautiful stuff.