Legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is making history as the first African artist to receive a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, nearly 30 years after his death in 1997 at the age of 58.
The Recording Academy announced that the “King of Afrobeat” will be honored at the 2026 Grammy Awards, marking a long-overdue recognition for the revolutionary musician whose work challenged military dictatorship, corruption, and social injustice in Nigeria.
The award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Saturday, January 31, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, a day before the main 68th Grammy Awards ceremony. Fans across Nigeria and the world have celebrated the announcement, hailing it as a historic moment for African music.
Fela’s son, Seun Kuti, who leads the iconic Egypt 80 band, described the honor as a victory not only for Afrobeat but also for politically conscious music. Unfortunately, Seun revealed he would be unable to attend the ceremony due to travel restrictions.
The award will be formally received by Fela’s children Yeni, Femi, and Kunle Kuti, who continue to preserve and promote his legacy through the New Afrika Shrine and other platforms connected to the former Kalakuta Republic.
Seun also used the moment to call for unity within the music industry, emphasizing that greatness should not be measured by comparisons but by celebrating culture and cooperation.
Fela is being honored for creating Afrobeat, a genre that fused West African highlife, jazz, funk, and traditional rhythms while delivering powerful social commentary. The Recording Academy recognized his “inestimable contributions” to global music, noting that his work laid the foundation for today’s Afrobeats movement dominating international charts.
Fela joins a prestigious list of 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, including Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon. This follows the 2025 induction of his iconic 1976 album Zombie into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
A special live band tribute is also scheduled in Los Angeles to honor Fela’s revolutionary spirit, political courage, and timeless groove, cementing his enduring influence on music and culture worldwide.
