New physical halls of fame for Tejano music, New Jersey greats, Cleveland sports

Tech-media-tainment currently counts about 600 halls of fame that you can visit in North America. Some stand the test of time while others disappear.
What follows are some of the latest physical halls of fame in the U.S.

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame & Museum

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame & Museum in San Antonio, Texas, opened on Dec. 6, 2025. The museum honors the legends of Tejano music and culture in Texas.
Tejano (Spanish for “Texan”) music is a genre that fuses Mexican vocal traditions with various global styles, including European polkas and American pop, rock and country.
The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame & Museum includes exhibits celebrating Tejano icons and Grammy Award winners such as Little Joe Hernández and Flaco Jiménez, along with rare memorabilia.
It is the second Tejano music hall of fame. The other is the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in Alice, Texas.
On Jan. 3, the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame inducted its 2025 class in a ceremony at the County Fairgrounds in Alice, Texas, according to Tejano Nation.
There’s also the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum in San Benito, Texas.
Texas conjunto (Spanish for “ensemble” or “group”) is a musical genre born in South Texas and Northern Mexico in the late 19th century. Often called the “heartbeat of South Texas,” it is a lively, danceable fusion of Mexican vocal traditions and European folk instruments brought by German, Czech and Polish immigrants.

New Jersey Hall of Fame

The New Jersey Hall of Fame found a physical home at the American Dream entertainment complex and shopping mall in East Rutherford, N.J., in June 2024.
At its most recent induction ceremony on Nov. 21, the hall inducted the Jonas Brothers and the Isley Brothers music groups, among others.

Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame

The Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame found a physical home and museum at the Urban Community School’s Roundstone Athletic Center in Cleveland, Ohio, in December 2025. The hall honors the talented athletes who have come from Northeast Ohio.
(See articles by Cleveland.com and Cleveland Magazine.)

Cornhole, competitive dancing, lightsaber fighting and other fringe sports

With spring training underway for Major League Baseball – 150 years after the start of the National League – it’s fun to look at some fringe sports that hope someday to become mainstream and have staying power. Good luck with that.

International Dance League

The International Dance League on March 4 announced the launch of its first official competitive season, marking a major milestone in the league’s mission to establish dance as a professional, global sport.
“IDL’s first season will feature six of the most influential and accomplished professional dance teams in the world, competing across six scheduled regular-season events in New York (USA), Vancouver (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Seoul (South Korea), and two in Los Angeles (USA),” IDL said in a news release. “Each event will have standardized judging and a championship title modeled after traditional professional sports leagues, with a season champion crowned at the end.”
The first event is set for May 2 in New York City. The championship will be held in Los Angeles on Sept. 20.
“Fans can expect high-level athletic performances, cultural expression, and live entertainment, catering to both in-person audiences and global digital viewership,” IDL said.

Saber Legion World Championships

The competitive world of LED lightsaber combat is the subject of a new documentary called “Saber.” It focuses on a group of dedicated saber combat athletes – and likely “Star Wars” fanatics – as they prepare for the Saber Legion World Championships in Las Vegas, according to GeekTyrant.

Ultimate Fighting Bots

Ultimate Fighting Bots is the world’s first humanoid robot combat league where humans pilot robots in real-time battles. The most recent event was held Jan. 6 in Las Vegas at the Battlebots Arena. I’ll be more interested when the robots are autonomous.

World Chase Tag

World Chase Tag is the first and only global league for competitive tag. Born from a backyard game in 2011, WCT now attracts athletes from 18 nations across two divisions: an open division and a dedicated women’s division.
Two teams of up to 6 athletes face off inside The Quad, a 12-meter by 12-meter arena filled with obstacles, adding a parkour element to the game. Each match is best of 16 chases. If the evader survives 20 seconds without being tagged, their team scores. If a match is tied, it goes to Sudden Death Chase-Off. Each team picks their best chaser and best evader for one final chase each.

World Axe Throwing League

The World Axe Throwing League has taken the recreational activity of axe throwing and turned it into a competitive sport.
The World Axe Throwing League has brought together axe-throwing clubs and standardized the sport with official league rules and safety protocols.

American Cornhole League

The American Cornhole League is attempting to turn the casual backyard bag-tossing game into a pro sport. These tossers take this game seriously.

Major League Wiffle Ball

Major League Wiffle Ball, aka MLW, is a professional wiffleball league, established in 2009. MLW currently features an eight-team league based out of Brighton, Michigan. It also sponsors a tournament circuit. It has hosted tournaments in Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, and Arizona.

USA Pickleball National Championships

The leisure activity of pickleball has gone big time with the USA Pickleball National Championships. The next championships will be held at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif., from Oct. 31 through Nov. 8.

Pillow Fight Championship

The Pillow Fight Championship is a professional sports organization that arranges competitive pillow fighting matches. It was founded in 2021 and offers a unique style of combat sport using specialized pillows, according to Wikipedia.

Enhanced Games

The upcoming Enhanced Games will feature athletes who are allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs banned in other sports. The May 24 event in Las Vegas will feature 50 athletes competing in swimming, weightlifting and track and field.
(See articles by ESPN and the Guardian.)

Related articles:

Blood sports satisfy primal male urges for violence (Tech-media-tainment; March 7, 2026)

ESPN’s ‘The Ocho’ Is Back, but Is Axe Throwing a Sport? We Asked. (Morning Consult; Aug. 6, 2019)

Strange sports: Lingerie MMA, pizza acrobatics, lumberjack contests (Tech-media-tainment; Sept. 23, 2017)

Photos from their respective sports organizations.

Blood sports satisfy primal male urges for violence

Some sports fans like to see athletes spill blood or suffer concussions and broken bones. That’s the only way to explain some emerging violent sports. We already have boxing and mixed martial arts, but apparently they aren’t extreme enough for some fans.
What follows is a look at some alternative brutal sports.

Run Nation Championship

Run Nation Championship is a highly controversial Australian full-contact sport where two athletes sprint at full speed and collide with each other like modern-day jousting. The object is to knock your opponent down or out cold. Critics say the new sport is reckless, dangerous and should be banned. It debuted in early 2026. SB Nation said the sport is dumber than Power Slap.
(See articles by Vice, Complex, Daily Mail and MMA Mania.)

Power Slap

Power Slap is a U.S. slap-fighting competition. Athletes stand face to face and slap each other as hard as they can. That’s pretty much it. The first event was held in 2023.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the first legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare-knuckle boxing event in the U.S. since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, BKFC says it is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare-knuckle fighting. Its first event was held in 2018.

Photos from their respective organizations.

Music residencies make Las Vegas an entertainment destination

For older, established music artists, there’s no need to tour when fans can come to you. That’s the point behind music residencies in Las Vegas, which has become more a destination for entertainment and sports than gambling.
Earlier this month, I saw Jennifer Lopez perform at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace as part of her “Up All Night” residency. JLo put on a great show, singing and dancing to her pop hits and Broadway classics.
The Colosseum has hosted residencies for Adele, Celine Dion, Elton John and more. Aside from JLo, other current and upcoming residencies include Blake Shelton, Def Leppard, Cyndi Lauper, Rod Stewart and Kelly Clarkson.
Another site of Las Vegas residencies is the iconic Sphere arena. It’s hosted U2, the Eagles, Backstreet Boys and Phish. Upcoming shows include No Doubt and Kenny Chesney.
The Dolby Live theater at Park MGM has hosted residencies for Bruno Mars, Janet Jackson, Usher, Maroon 5 and Mariah Carey. Current and upcoming residencies include Zayn Malik and Mary J. Blige.
The Venetian Theatre has featured residencies by Foreigner and The B-52s. Current and upcoming residences include Styx, Collective Soul and Chicago.
Entertainment has become more important to Las Vegas as casino gambling has spread across the U.S. In the past, casinos were only legal in Nevada and New Jersey.
Sports is another tourist draw with the opening in July 2020 of Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL football team.
Plus, the former Oakland Athletics are building a baseball stadium on the Las Vegas Strip. That ballpark for the Las Vegas A’s is due to open spring 2028.
There’s also the T-Mobile Arena, which hosts the Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey team as well as Ultimate Fighting Championship matches, concerts and other events.

Related articles:

The top 5 greatest Las Vegas residencies of all time (TheStreet; Jan. 9, 2026)

Photo: Promotional photo for Jennifer Lopez residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Jennifer Lopez’s Up All Night Live Las Vegas Residency Setlist: Every Song From Night 1 https://t.co/dnyc0VZtmD via @billboard

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) January 1, 2026

Great show Saturday night by the incomparable Jennifer Lopez. Packed crowd for JLo’s residency at Caesar’s. @JLo @CaesarsPalace pic.twitter.com/bd9R7exm5m

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) January 4, 2026

Website attempts to make ‘sports hall of fame directory’

I like websites that specialize on a particular subject and become experts on that area.
That’s not the case with Tech-media-tainment but I have devoted a lot of time to several specific topics such as halls of fame.
I even created a Google map that features 564 (and counting) physical halls of fame that you can visit across sports, music, aviation and other endeavors in North America.
Plus, I have documented more than 180 interesting virtual halls of fame for business and industry, occupations, media and entertainment, food and drink, music, sports and other areas.
I recently came across a website called The Sports Fan Project that is attempting to compile a directory of sports halls of fame.
The Sports Fan Project Hall of Fame Directory is organized by location. It lists a total of 59 U.S. sports halls of fame and museums. Some 24 states and Puerto Rico are covered. It also names 10 international sports halls of fame and museums (in Australia, Canada, England, France, Israel, Japan and Malaysia).
It’s not an exhaustive list, but it covers the major sports pretty well.
However, it includes at least eight halls of fame that don’t have a physical location:

• Eastern States Exposition Equestrian Hall of Fame
• Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame
• National Powerboat Hall of Fame
• USA Bobsled & Skeleton Hall of Fame
• USA Curling Hall of Fame
• U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame
• U.S. Squash Hall of Fame
• World Wiffle Ball Championship Hall of Fame.

As someone who has researched halls of fame, it can be difficult to draw the line on which halls to include in a list. If there’s an exhibit of hall of famers within a larger museum, I’ll include it. But I won’t include a hall that just has a physical location for its sponsoring organization. Chances are there’s nothing to see there.
I decided to include college sports halls of fame on my list, but not high school halls of fame. The latter is at best a display case in a school that only students, teachers and parents can visit anyway.
The Sports Fan Project website is edited by lifelong sports fan Doug Hill.

Sports fan halls of fame for Green Bay Packers, New York Jets

Two professional sports teams now have halls of fame honoring their most dedicated fans.
The Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame was first, starting in 1998. The Packers named the 27th member of its fan hall of fame in February.
The New York Jets Fan Hall of Fame followed in 2017. This year, the team inducted four people, including Grammy Award-winning rapper, music producer and actor Method Man.
If I’ve learned anything about halls of fame in my years of documenting the trend, it’s that those two sports fan halls of fame won’t be the last.
On a related note, sports broadcaster ESPN created the ESPN Fan Hall of Fame in 2012 to celebrate die-hard fans from across sports. But it appears to have gone dormant after its 2014 induction ceremony.

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2024

Sex, religion, race and politics were factors in the most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2024.
Of course, you could say that in practically any year. But this was a presidential election year, so sensitivities are heightened.

Beauty mogul and possibly retired singer Rihanna stirred up controversy with her spring 2024 cover photo for Interview magazine.
Rihanna wore a nun’s habit along with an unbuttoned blouse that showed off her sweaty cleavage. The sexy nun portrayal was criticized for being in bad taste.
(See articles by Fox News, ABC News and Parade.)

Actress Emma Corrin showed off her armpit hair for the cover of the June/July 2024 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Social media commentators thought the look was unattractive.
(See article by People.)

Actress Kristen Stewart went viral for her gender-bending cover for the March issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The photo showed Stewart wearing a jock strap with her hand feeling her crotch.
(See articles by The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone and Us Weekly.)

Singer, dancer and actress JoJo Siwa pulled a similar stunt with her cover photo for Ladygunn magazine in September.
She wore an all-gold sequined outfit that included a male chest plate and a jock strap with a prominent bulge.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Parade, the Independent, PopCulture.com, New York Post, USA Today, Today and HuffPost.)

The March 28 issue of Denver’s Westword magazine caught flak for the cover art for its article on youth and crime. The illustration showed a young boy with blue skin and curly, black hair wearing a hoodie. The boy had a handgun in his backpack.
Critics argued that the illustration presented harmful stereotypes that demonize black youth.
(See articles by Denver’s 9News and Westword.)

New York magazine’s March 11 issue drew complaints for its cover story subtitled “The moral case for letting trans kids change their bodies.”
Critics said it was an attempt to normalize surgery for sexually confused youngsters.
(See article by R. Albert Mohler Jr.)

Speaking of the trans debate, conservatives slammed Forbes magazine for including transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on the cover of its annual “30 Under 30” issue.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and the Blaze.)

New York magazine received criticism for a June cover story and illustration, which some said insulted Republican women with ridiculous stereotypes.
(See article by the Daily Wire.)

Time magazine named WNBA basketball star Caitlin Clark as its “Athlete of the Year.” Some haters claimed Clark, who is Caucasian, earned the title because of “white privilege.”
(See articles by Daily Mail, Daily Mail again and New York Post.)

Time magazine earned disapproval from conservatives for its fawning cover story on liberal presidential candidate Kamala Harris for the Aug. 26 issue.
(See articles by Fox News, Fox News again and New York Post.)

And finally, Time magazine upset leftists after naming President-elect Donald Trump its “Person of the Year” on its Dec. 30 cover.
(See articles by Sky News Australia, Daily Beast and Variety.)

Physical halls of fame for sports gambling, poker, 16-inch softball

Here’s a look at some of the latest physical halls of fame I’ve found that you can visit. Some are just plaques on walls but that’s still a shrine to the best of the best in whatever field.
In North America, there are at least 550 halls and walks of fame that you can see in person.

Sports Gambling Hall of Fame

The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame honors individuals who have notably transformed the sports gambling industry.
The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame is located in the sportsbook of the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. It opened in August 2023.
Each inductee receives a plaque featuring their name, induction class year, and biography. The hall has had two induction classes so far – in 2023 and 2024.
The SGHOF induction ceremony takes place every August at Circa Las Vegas as the capstone event of Bet Bash.

Poker Hall of Fame

Elsewhere in Las Vegas is the Poker Hall of Fame. It is located in the Horseshoe Las Vegas, owned by Caesar’s Entertainment.
The current Poker Hall of Fame exhibit opened in July 2023 and features displays on inductees along with World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and rings. WSOP manages the hall of fame.
The hall of fame exhibit previously was in the former Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas.

16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame

The 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame is located in Forest Park, Ill. The hall-of-fame museum tells the history of the Chicago-created sport of 16-inch softball and honors the best players, umpires, managers, organizers and teams. The museum opened in July 2014.
The sport is traditionally played without fielder’s gloves.

Space Camp Hall of Fame

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center education foundation established the Space Camp Hall of Fame to recognize the accomplishments of its Space Camp graduates and former employees.
The inductees are honored at the Hall of Fame Dinner, which marks the beginning of Space Camp Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Plaques featuring the inductees and their accomplishments are located in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to honor sports greats from the western New York region. Recent inductees include NFL football player Rob Gronkowski and NHL hockey player Richard Brooks Orpik.
The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame collection is located inside Dave & Adam’s Card World retail store in Williamsville, N.Y.

Related resources:

Halls of Fame in North America

Mascot Hall of Fame closing its doors (July 28, 2024)

Halls of fame for rhythm and blues, gospel music and more still hoping for physical homes (July 8, 2024)

Virtual halls of fame: A roundup

The following is a roundup of virtual halls of fame, some of which I’ve covered on Tech-media-tainment. The list includes halls for business and industry, occupations, media and entertainment, sports, food and other endeavors.
These halls of fame don’t have a physical location and exist only online. Some of these halls have plans for physical locations, but they have yet to be realized.
This list excludes most U.S. regional halls of fame.

Business and industry

3D Printing Hall of Fame
Accounting Hall of Fame
Advertising Hall of Fame
Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame
American National Business Hall of Fame
Association of Equipment Manufacturers Hall of Fame
Business Travel Hall of Fame
Carrier Dealer Hall of Fame
Computer Hall of Fame
Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame
Consumer Technology Hall of Fame
Convenience Store Hall of Fame
Cyber Security Hall of Fame
Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame
Fluid Power Hall of Fame
Franchise Hall of Fame
Gaming Hall of Fame
Geospatial Intelligence Hall of Fame
Global Business Hall of Fame
High-Performance Computer Architecture Hall of Fame
Hydro Hall of Fame
Interior Design Hall of Fame
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame
Internet Hall of Fame
IP Hall of Fame
IT Hall of Fame
Jacuzzi Hall of Fame
Jewelry Retailer Hall of Fame
Kiosk Hall of Fame
Lighting Hall of Fame
Logistics Hall of Fame
Lottery Industry Hall of Fame
Marketing Hall of Fame
Meat Industry Hall of Fame
Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame
National Optometry Hall of Fame
National Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame
Paper Industry International Hall of Fame
Plastics Hall of Fame
Process Automation Hall of Fame
Promotional Products Hall of Fame
PRWeek Hall of Fame
Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame
Rental Hall of Fame
Self Storage Hall of Fame
Space Technology Hall of Fame
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame
Specialty Food Industry Hall of Fame
Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame
Sports Betting Hall of Fame
Sports Technology Hall of Fame
Swine Hall of Fame
Tire Industry Hall of Fame
Toy Industry Hall of Fame
Visual Effects Society Hall of Fame
Water Industry Hall of Fame
Wireless Hall of Fame
World Floor Covering Association Hall of Fame
World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame
XR Hall of Fame

Occupations

American Association of Political Consultants Hall of Fame
American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame
Caddie Hall of Fame
Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame
Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame
Christmas Tree Growers Hall of Fame
Dermatology Hall of Fame
Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame
International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Truck Driver Hall of Fame
International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame
National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Driver Hall of Fame.
Personal Managers Hall of Fame
Piano Teachers Hall of Fame
Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame
Truck Driver Hall of Fame
U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame
Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame

Food and drink

American Craft Beer Hall of Fame
Barbecue Hall of Fame
Candy Hall of Fame
Hot Sauce Hall of Fame
International Hamburger Hall of Fame
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame
Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame
Pizza Hall of Fame
Salami Hall of Fame
Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame
White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame

Media and entertainment

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
American TV Game Show Hall of Fame
AVN (Adult Video News) Hall of Fame
Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame
Character Actor Hall of Fame
Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame
Country Radio Hall of Fame
Fangoria Hall of Fame
Esports Insider Hall of Fame
Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame
Final Draft Hall of Fame
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Hall of Fame
National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
People’s Music Hall of Fame
Podcast Hall of Fame
XRCO (X-Rated Critics Organization) Hall of Fame

Music

Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame
Dance Music Hall of Fame
Decibel Hall of Fame
DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame
Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Funk Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Grammy Hall of Fame
Heavy Metal Hall of Fame
Hip Hop Hall of Fame
International Gospel Music Hall of Fame
International Latin Music Hall of Fame
International Polka Music Hall of Fame
Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame
Metal Hall of Fame
Music Business Hall of Fame
National Fiddler Hall of Fame
National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
Opera Hall of Fame
Reggae Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
SoundExchange Hall of Fame
Steel Guitar Hall of Fame
Ukulele Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Women Songwriters Hall of Fame

Sports

African American Golfers Hall of Fame
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame
Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame
International Sports Hall of Fame
Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame
National Black Golf Hall of Fame
National Powerboat Hall of Fame
New York Jets Fan Hall of Fame
North American Flyball Association (NAFA) Hall of Fame
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Ultimate Hall of Fame
USA Bobsled & Skeleton Hall of Fame
USA Curling Hall of Fame
U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame
U.S. Squash Hall of Fame
Wakeboarding Hall of Fame
Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame
Women Superstars Uncensored Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame

Miscellaneous

Adoption Hall of Fame
Affordable Housing Hall of Fame
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame
American Border Collie Association Hall of Fame
American Brace Beagling Hall of Fame
Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame
Asian Hall of Fame
Black Authors Hall of Fame
Black Inventors Hall of Fame
Black Sportswriters Hall of Fame
Boating Safety Hall of Fame
Brand Hall of Fame
Clean Cities Hall of Fame
Clydesdale Hall of Fame
Combat Robot Hall of Fame
Foosball Hall of Fame
Government Hall of Fame
Hooters Girl Hall of Fame
Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame
Immigrant Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
International Gladiolus Hall of Fame
Irish American Hall of Fame
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
Model Car Hall of Fame
Mustache Hall of Fame
National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame
National Railroad Hall of Fame
National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame
Rail-Trail Hall of Fame
Sports Travel and Tours (STAT) Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame
Storm Chaser Hall of Fame
Trivia Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Acquisition Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame
Waterfowlers Hall of Fame
Women in Poker Hall of Fame

Photo: Miranda Lambert receives the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in September 2024. (SoundExchange)

Related articles:

List of halls and walks of fame (Wikipedia)

Updated: April 12, 2025.

Virtual halls of fame for sports betting, franchises and brands

As I’ve written many times, there are halls of fame for just about any industry, occupation, passion or pursuit. Many of these halls don’t have physical locations you can visit. What follows are some of the latest virtual halls of fame I’ve stumbled upon online.

Sports Betting Hall of Fame

SBC launched the Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2016 to recognize individuals who have contributed a great deal to the industry over the course of their careers with a lasting legacy.
SBC is an events company that organizes global conferences and exhibitions, as well as operates the largest business-to-business news publisher for the sports betting and igaming industry.
However, there is also a Sports Gambling Hall of Fame. It honors individuals who have notably transformed the sports gambling industry. The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame exhibit is located in the Circa Las Vegas sportsbook of the Circa Resort & Casino.

International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame

Launched in 2023, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame celebrates North American sports car racing excellence.
The IMSA Hall of Fame recognizes not only the personalities and competitors who achieved greatness in the sport, but also includes iconic race cars.

NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame

The National Association of Broadcasters recognizes radio and television personalities and programs that have earned a place in broadcasting history with induction into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Recent honorees include Donnie Simpson, “America’s Most Wanted,” Lester Holt and “The Price Is Right.”

Franchise Hall of Fame

Franchise Business Review’s Franchise Hall of Fame celebrates franchises that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to creating a positive and rewarding experience for their franchisees.
Frequent honorees include Nothing Bundt Cakes, Wild Birds Unlimited and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Brand Hall of Fame

Marketing conference The Gathering this year launched the Brand Hall of Fame.
The inaugural inductees were Coca-Cola, Levi’s, McDonalds, MTV and NFL. (See article by Adweek.)

Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame

Professional services firm EY, parent company of accounting giant Ernst & Young, celebrates men and women for their exceptional entrepreneurial achievements with the Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame.
The program has recognized more than 10,000 entrepreneurs over the last 35 years plus.

Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame has recognized successful Kentucky businesspeople since 2010. Well-known inductees include Papa John’s Pizza founder John Schnatter and Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland David Sanders.

PRWeek Hall of Fame

The PRWeek Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the public relations and communications industry.

National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame

The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) operates the NCHA Hall of Fame. The hall honors riders, horses and others in the field.
The National Cutting Horse Association is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Grammy Hall of Fame

The Grammy Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts.
This year’s inductees included the albums “Appetite for Destruction” (1987) by Guns N' Roses and “I Feel Love” (1977) by Donna Summer and single “What a Fool Believes” (1978) by the Doobie Brothers.

SoundExchange Hall of Fame

Music tech organization SoundExchange awards music artists with its SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award for being among leaders in receiving royalty rights payments.
This year’s award winners included OneRepublic, the Jonas Brothers, the Black Keys, Mariah Carey, the Killers, Matchbox Twenty, Billy Joel and Miranda Lambert.

XR Hall of Fame

Conference organizers behind the Augmented World Expo announced the creation of the XR Hall of Fame in April 2024. XR is an acronym for “extended reality” technology, which includes virtual and augmented reality.
AWE honored 101 XR pioneers into the XR Hall of Fame with its initial induction class.

Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) inducts industry professionals into its SEMA Hall of Fame. SEMA represents over 7,000 companies that create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles “more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again.”

IFDA Truck Driver Hall of Fame

The International Foodservice Distributors Association honors lifetime achievement by its transportation workers with the IFDA Truck Driver Hall of Fame.
Drivers must have at least 25 years of continuous employment with an IFDA member company. They also must have no chargeable accidents for the 25 years prior to the nomination and a clean driving record with no moving violations in the past five years.

U.S. Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame

The U.S. Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame, established in 2012, honors those soldiers and civilians who have made significant and enduring contributions to AMC and the Army. The Hall of Fame preserves the command’s history and recognizes the exceptional leadership, service and dedication of former AMC members for their remarkable efforts.

Army Acquisition Hall of Fame

The Army Acquisition Hall of Fame award recognizes and honors former members of the Army Acquisition Workforce who have made significant and enduring contributions in support of the Army Acquisition Community.

Global Cyber Security Hall of Fame

The Global Cyber Security Hall of Fame was established in 2012 to recognize the contributions of key individuals in the field of cybersecurity.

Insurance Business Hall of Fame

Insurance Business America magazine recognizes top-notch insurance professionals annually with induction into the Insurance Business Hall of Fame.
A panel of judges considers an individual’s distinguished service to the insurance profession, the leadership and inspiration they provided to others in the sector, their role in guiding future generations of entrepreneurs and business leaders, their contributions to the leadership and direction of industry associations, and any visionary strategies and innovations that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry as a whole.

Photo: Mariah Carey receives the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in March 2024. (SoundExchange)

Related articles:

Virtual halls of fame for metal rock music, Texas songwriters, sports technology and more (May 28, 2023)

Halls of fame for sports media pros, political consultants, jewelry retailers (June 20, 2022)

Halls of fame for boating, lighting, space technology and female songwriters (Oct. 10, 2021)