The Recording Academy has officially announced that the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, will be posthumously honoured with the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
This landmark announcement marks a historic shift in the global music landscape, as Fela becomes the first African artist to receive this particular distinction.
Nearly three decades after his passing, the “Black President” is being recognized for his “creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance,” placing him in the hallowed company of icons like The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Marley.
It was gathered that the Recording Academy praised Fela Kuti’s impact for extending far beyond the dance floors of the New Afrika Shrine. By fusing West African highlife with American jazz and funk, he created Afrobeat—a genre that served as a potent weapon against political corruption and military dictatorship in Nigeria.
His 1976 album Zombie, which was recently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, remains a global anthem for social justice.
The Academy said the decision to grant the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award to Kuti highlights the enduring relevance of his work.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place during Grammy Week on January 31, 2026, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
Members of the Kuti family, including his sons Femi and Seun Kuti, who have both earned multiple Grammy nominations, are expected to accept the honour on his behalf.
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.”
“The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” Seun Kuti added.
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.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Fela is described 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 he died 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.
