Launched by Gramophone magazine in late 2011, the Gramophone Hall of Fame is an annual listing of the men and women (artists, producers, engineers, A&R directors and label founders) who have contributed to the classical record industry. Fifty individuals and ensembles entered the Hall of Fame in its first year. A special edition of the magazine (May 2012 issue) celebrates this new initiative, and the list was first published online on 6 April 2012.