BlackPink’s Lisa, Freddie Mercury & More to Be Inducted Into Asian Hall of Fame

An eclectic number of musicians are among the 2023 inductees into the Asian Hall of Fame, which also includes people from business, government, and other areas beyond music and entertainment. 

Sixteen living individuals and one group are being inducted, as are four individuals who are being inducted posthumously, plus one corporate inductee (Nintendo) and one “artist ambassador,” the late country legend Johnny Cash. 

Here’s a quick look at this year’s music inductees:

Lalisa Manoban, better known as Lisa from BlackPink, was born in Thailand. The rapper, singer, and dancer, 26, is being inducted as a “cultural icon.”

Jennifer Lee, better known as EDM artist/producer TOKiMONSTA, is a second-generation Korean/American. In 2019, she was nominated for a Grammy for best dance/electronic album for Lune Rouge.

Far*East Movement had a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2010-11 – “Like a G6” (featuring Cataracs & Dev) which hit No. 1, and “Rocketeer” (featuring Ryan Tedder), which reached No. 6.

Ben Fong-Torres, a respected rock journalist, author and broadcaster, is best known for his long association with Rolling Stone. Fong-Torres is 78.

Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents. The Queen frontman died in 1991 at age 45.

Ryuichi Sakamoto was among the first Asian composers to win an Oscar for best original score. Sakamoto, who was born in Japan, made that bit of Oscar history in 1988 for The Last Emperor, along with fellow composer Cong Su, who was born in China. The third collaborator on that score was David Byrne, who was born in Scotland. Sakamoto died in March at age 71.

Johnny Cash, who was not of Asian descent, is being inducted as an artist ambassador. The country legend died in 2003 at age 71.

“Inductees and artist ambassadors inspire courage, character, and service for the betterment of our country and humanity,” Maki Hsieh, president and CEO of the Asian Hall of Fame, said in a statement.

The induction ceremony is set for October 21 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The Seattle Founders Gala honoring Pacific Northwest inductees will be on September 29 at the Washington Athletic Club. Tickets and sponsorships are at asianhalloffame.org.

Asian Hall of Fame works to advance Asian and Indigenous leadership, achievements, and service to the U.S. and globally. It was established in 2004 by the Robert Chinn Foundation. Year-round programming trains local youth, empowers women founders, promotes cross-cultural content, and amplifies legislation.