Legendary Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has posthumously etched his name deeper into global music history after becoming the first African artiste to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Recording Academy announced the honour as part of its special merit awards, recognising Fela’s enduring influence on world music, political consciousness and cultural identity decades after his death in 1997.
Widely regarded as the creator of Afrobeat, Fela fused jazz, funk, highlife and traditional African rhythms into a revolutionary sound that transcended entertainment and became a vehicle for resistance against oppression, corruption and military rule in Nigeria. His fearless lyrics and confrontations with authority made him a global symbol of artistic courage and African self-expression.
In its citation, the Academy described Fela as a “transformational musical force whose work reshaped global music and inspired generations of artistes across continents.”
The historic recognition has sparked widespread celebration across Africa and the diaspora, with musicians, cultural figures and fans hailing the award as long overdue. Many see it as a landmark moment not just for Fela’s legacy, but for African music’s long struggle for global institutional recognition.
Fela’s sons, Femi and Seun Kuti, both internationally acclaimed musicians, have continued to preserve and expand the Afrobeat movement, ensuring that their father’s message and sound remain relevant in contemporary times.
With this honour, Fela joins an elite list of global music icons whose impact extends far beyond charts and awards, reaffirming his status as one of the most influential artistes of the 20th century — and now, officially, a Grammy legend.
