Gov. Phil Murphy announced the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s newest inductees on Monday during a ceremony at the organization’s exhibit at Newark Liberty International Airport. Among the local luminaries who will be honored this year are Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, musician Southside Johnny Lyon and Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander.
The induction ceremony will be held on October 27 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park.
Other members of this year’s class include sports columnist Jerry Izenberg, photographer Timothy White, rock band the Smithereens, restaurateur Tim McLoone, businessman Arthur F. Ryan, physician/professor Victor Parsonnet, former New York Giants Harry Carson and Bart Oates, and gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Posthumous inductees include author Peter Benchley, businessmen J. Fletcher Creamer Sr. and F.M. Kirby II, banker/philanthropist Mary Roebling, activist Elizabeth Allen and basketball player/coach Anne Donovan. Martha Stewart, a previous Hall of Fame selection, is also expected to be inducted this year.
Each year, New Jersey residents are invited to submit recommendations for deserving inductees. Those suggestions are collected and considered by a selection committee, which then determines a list of 100 potential nominees. The NJ Hall of Fame Academy narrows down that list to 50, after which the public is invited to vote on final nominations. Individuals who receive the most votes in each of the five categories—Arts & Letters, Enterprise, Performing Arts, Public Service and Sports—are automatically inducted; the board then deliberates to determine additional class members.
Last year’s honorees included musician Steven Van Zandt, baseball star Al Leiter and author Harlan Coben.
The NJ Hall of Fame is currently in the design phase of its museum buildout at the American Dream complex in the Meadowlands, where it will provide a high-tech, immersive experience complete with a collection of artifacts and a virtual-reality theater. It is expected to open in December of next year.