Dare Babalola
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer, is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards, nearly three decades after his passing.
This prestigious honour recognises Fela’s groundbreaking contributions to music and his enduring impact on global culture.
The Recording Academy announced that Fela Anikulapo Kuti will receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, making him the first African to receive the honor, BBC reported on Friday.
Reacting to the recognition, his son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, said, “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.”
A former manager and long-time associate of the late singer, Rikki Stein, said the honour was long overdue.
“Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing quite a bit of late,” Stein said.
The BBC noted that the recognition comes amid rising global interest in African music, driven largely by the international success of Afrobeats, a genre rooted in Fela’s work.
In 2024, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category, while Nigerian singer Burna Boy earned a nomination this year in the Best Global Music Album category.
Fela’s Lifetime Achievement Award places him among global music legends. Past recipients include Bing Crosby, while this year’s honourees also feature Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan and Paul Simon.
Members of Fela’s family, friends and associates are expected to attend the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.
“The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” Seun Kuti said.
The BBC described Fela as more than a musician, portraying him as a cultural thinker, political agitator and the creator of Afrobeat.
With drummer Tony Allen, he developed the genre by blending West African rhythms with jazz, funk and highlife, marked by extended improvisation and politically charged lyrics.
During a career that lasted until his death in 1997, Fela released over 50 albums and became a fierce critic of authority, repeatedly clashing with the Nigerian military governments through his music and activism.
