The Grammys will posthumously honour Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti with a Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African artist to receive the honour

The Recording Academy has announced that Nigerian music legend and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, will posthumously receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, nearly three decades after his death.

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The honour makes Fela the first African artist to be bestowed with the prestigious recognition, marking a historic moment for African music on the global stage.

Fela, who died in 1997 at the age of 58, is widely regarded as the architect of Afrobeat—a revolutionary genre that fused jazz, funk, highlife and traditional West African rhythms with sharp political commentary.

Reacting to the announcement, his son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, described the recognition as both symbolic and restorative.

“Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it,” Seun said, adding that the award was “bringing balance to a Fela story” and represented “a double victory.”

A longtime friend and former manager of the late icon, Rikki Stein, said the honour was long overdue, noting that global appreciation for African music had grown significantly in recent years.

“It’s better late than never,” Stein said, adding that Fela’s influence had always transcended awards and commercial success.

Fela’s recognition comes amid growing global acceptance of African music, underscored by the Recording Academy’s introduction of the Best African Performance category in 2024.

Nigerian superstar Burna Boy is also nominated this year for Best Global Music Album, reflecting the lasting impact of Fela’s musical and cultural legacy.

Other recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award include music legends Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan and Paul Simon. Members of Fela’s family and close 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.

Beyond music, Fela was a fearless political activist, cultural theorist and pan-Africanist who used his art to confront oppression and authoritarianism.

His 1977 album Zombie, which satirised Nigeria’s military regime, triggered a brutal raid on his Kalakuta Republic commune, during which his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, later died from injuries sustained.

Fela transformed personal tragedy into resistance, producing protest anthems such as Coffin for Head of State, further cementing his role as a voice of the oppressed.

“He wasn’t doing what he was doing to win awards,” Stein recalled. “He was interested in liberation—freeing the mind. He was fearless. He was determined.”

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Fela released over 50 albums, pioneered Afrobeat alongside legendary drummer Tony Allen, and influenced generations of musicians across Africa and the diaspora.

On stage, he was unmistakable—saxophone in hand, often bare-chested or adorned in vibrant African prints, commanding large ensembles at Lagos’ iconic Afrika Shrine.

“When Fela played, nobody applauded,” Stein said. “The audience wasn’t separate. They were part of it.”

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The Grammy honour stands as a powerful affirmation of Fela Kuti’s enduring legacy—not just as a musician, but as a revolutionary force whose rhythm, resistance and message continue to resonate across the world.