Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has been posthumously honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, nearly 30 years after his death, in a landmark moment for African music and global culture.
The honour was bestowed on Saturday, January 31, 2026, during the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards ceremony held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, on the eve of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
With the recognition, Fela becomes the first African artist to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honour that has been awarded since 1963 to legendary figures such as Bing Crosby and other global music greats.
The award celebrates performers who have made outstanding artistic contributions to the recording field over the course of their lifetimes, acknowledging Fela’s far-reaching influence as a musician, cultural force and political voice.
Fela, who died in 1997 at the age of 58, was honoured alongside other recipients including Chaka Khan, Cher, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston, who was also recognised posthumously at the ceremony.
The award was accepted on his behalf by his children, Femi Kuti, Yeni Kuti and Kunle Kuti, in the presence of family members, friends and leading figures from the global music industry, as footage highlighting his legacy played on a large screen.
During the presentation, Fela was described as a “producer, arranger, political radical, outlaw and the father of Afrobeat,” a summary that captured his complex and enduring impact on music and society.
In his acceptance speech, Femi Kuti said, “Thank you for bringing our father here. It’s so important for us, it’s so important for Africa, it’s so important for world peace and the struggle,” underscoring the broader significance of the recognition.
Yeni Kuti expressed the family’s excitement, noting that Fela was never nominated for a Grammy during his lifetime. “The family is happy about it. And we’re excited that he’s finally being recognised,” she said, adding that while the honour was “better late than never”, there was still “a way to go” in fully acknowledging African artists globally.
Also reacting, Seun Kuti described the award as a “symbolic moment,” saying, “Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory. It’s bringing balance to a Fela story. The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father.”
