Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has made history as the first African artist to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy.
The legendary musician and activist was honored posthumously at the 2026 Grammy Special Merit Awards, held in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31, on the eve of the main Grammy ceremony. The award was accepted on Fela’s behalf by his children Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa, and Femi Kuti, representing a legacy that continues to shape global music and cultural resistance.
During the acceptance speech, Yeni Kuti expressed gratitude on behalf of the family, saying she was certain her father would be proud of the moment. She also acknowledged family members who were unable to attend, including Motunrayo and Seun Kuti, while highlighting the next generation carrying Afrobeat forward.
Femi Kuti followed with an emotional tribute, thanking everyone who has helped preserve and elevate Afrobeat worldwide, from DJs and journalists to record labels, legal teams, and fans across continents. He emphasized the broader significance of the moment, describing the honor as not just a win for music, but for Africa, global consciousness, and the ongoing struggle for justice.
Fela was recognized alongside global music icons such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon. In an official statement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. described the honorees as an extraordinary group whose influence has shaped generations, genres, and the foundation of modern music.
Although Fela never won a Grammy during his lifetime, his impact has continued to receive international recognition long after his passing. In 2025, his groundbreaking 1976 album Zombie was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, with the honor accepted by his sons Femi and Seun Kuti. In a statement shared at the time, Femi noted that their father’s music continues to inspire and unite people around the world.
According to the Recording Academy, the Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by its National Trustees to performers who have made “creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording” over the course of their lives.
Few artists embody that description as completely as Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Beyond music, he remains one of Nigeria’s most fearless political voices, using sound as a weapon against oppression, corruption, and injustice. His work fused traditional African rhythms, Ghanaian highlife, American funk, jazz, and soul, giving birth to Afrobeat, a genre that laid the foundation for the globally dominant Afrobeats movement of today.
Fela’s influence echoes across generations. His music has been sampled, referenced, and celebrated by artists such as Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Kelly Rowland, and many others. His legacy continues to inspire films, literature, fashion, exhibitions, and social movements centered on African identity and resistance.
Most recently, the Nigerian exhibition Afrobeat Rebellion offered an expansive exploration of Fela’s life, spotlighting both his musical innovation and his commitment to Black liberation and political defiance.
The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award stands as a powerful recognition of a man whose work transcended entertainment and became a global language of resistance. Nearly three decades after his passing, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s voice remains alive, loud, fearless, and uncompromising.