Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti will receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammy Awards, becoming the first African artist to earn the accolade nearly three decades after his 1997 death, the Recording Academy announced Thursday in a nod to his profound global impact on music and activism.
The honor, to be presented during the 2026 ceremony, celebrates Fela’s pioneering fusion of West African rhythms with jazz, funk, and highlife, alongside his unflinching critiques of authoritarianism that turned his work into a rallying cry for resistance.
Family members, friends, and associates are set to accept the award on his behalf, joining contemporaries like Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, and Paul Simon among this year’s recipients.
Seun Kuti, Fela’s son and an Afrobeat performer himself, welcomed the recognition as overdue validation.
“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,” Seun said.09768d
“The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” he added.
Rikki Stein, Fela’s former manager, attributed the shift to evolving attitudes toward African contributions.
“Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing quite a bit of late,” Stein remarked.
Fela, who released over 50 albums and collaborated with drummer Tony Allen to define Afrobeat, faced persecution for his outspoken politics, including raids on his Lagos compound by military regimes.
The award coincides with heightened Grammy focus on African music, following the 2024 introduction of a Best African Performance category and nominations for artists like Nigeria’s Burna Boy in Best Global Music Album.
It underscores the enduring legacy of Fela’s genre, which has influenced modern Afrobeats and inspired generations of musicians worldwide.
