Sienna Spiro Sings Sade at Rock Hall Induction
Andra Day gave the induction speech as Sade's members skipped the 2026 ceremony in Los Angeles.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in R&B
Sienna Spiro performed Sade's 1984 song 'Smooth Operator' at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at LA's Peacock Theater. Sade's members did not attend, having announced earlier this week that they would not be there.
Why it matters
The performance kept Sade's catalog front and center in a ceremony the band itself chose to skip, highlighting how inductees and their representatives can be honored without the artists present. The ceremony also featured Wu-Tang Clan among its 2026 inductees.
The performance drew on 'Smooth Operator,' a 1984 release, as the centerpiece of a ceremony staged for a live audience at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony was not livestreamed, and the source does not provide viewership or commercial figures for the event.
The players
Sienna Spiro
Sienna Spiro is a singer who performed Sade's 'Smooth Operator' at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Sade
Sade is the British band known for the 1984 hit 'Smooth Operator,' which was honored at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Andra Day
Andra Day is a singer who delivered the induction speech at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is the hip-hop group that was among the 2026 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The details
Sienna Spiro took the stage to sing 'Smooth Operator' while Andra Day delivered the induction speech for Sade. Sade's members, Sade Adu, Paul Denman, Stuart Matthewman and Andrew Hale, did not attend the ceremony.
Timeline
Earlier this week: Sade announced it would not attend the ceremony.
November 14, 2026: Sienna Spiro performed 'Smooth Operator' at the induction ceremony.
December 8, 2026: The ceremony is scheduled to air on ABC.
Industry Dynamics
The 2026 ceremony follows the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's established format of tribute performances and speeches delivered by stand-ins when inductees are absent. The absence of Sade's members places this induction within a broader pattern of artists skipping the ceremony while their catalogs remain central to the event.
Viewers who missed the live ceremony can watch the induction on ABC on December 8, 2026, with a Disney+ stream to follow. Because the event did not livestream, the broadcast and later streaming release are the main ways to see Spiro's performance.
The takeaway
Tribute performances can keep an artist's work at the center of a major ceremony even when the artists themselves are not present. Readers following the induction can check ABC and Disney+ listings for the broadcast and streaming dates.
What happens next
The ceremony is scheduled to air on ABC on December 8, 2026, and will stream on Disney+ after airing.
Further reading
For more on how soul and R&B acts are honored in music history, browse the R&B section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Stereogum.
