Legendary Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has been named a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the honour.
The Recording Academy announced that Fela will be recognised at the Special Merit Awards ceremony held during Grammy Week in Los Angeles. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers whose creative contributions have had outstanding artistic significance in the recording industry.
Fela, who died in 1997, is widely regarded as the creator of Afrobeat, a genre that blended traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk, and highlife, while serving as a platform for strong political and social commentary. His music challenged authority, addressed corruption and spoke directly to the struggles of ordinary people in Nigeria and across Africa.
Despite his global influence, Fela never won a Grammy during his lifetime. The posthumous recognition is being described as a major moment for African music and a long-overdue acknowledgement of his impact on global sound and culture.
Members of Fela’s family are expected to receive the award on his behalf. His sons, Femi and Seun Kuti, have continued to preserve and promote the Afrobeat legacy through music and performances at the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
The honour places Fela alongside other globally celebrated music icons recognised for lifetime contributions to recorded music. It also comes shortly after his 1976 album Zombie was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, further reinforcing his lasting influence.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s recognition by the Recording Academy is being seen as a defining milestone for Nigerian music, Afrobeat, and Africa’s cultural footprint on the global stage.
