Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has been posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy, making him the first African to receive the honour.
The BBC reported on Friday that the award will be conferred on the Nigerian music icon at the Grammy Awards, nearly three decades after his death. The recognition celebrates Fela’s enduring influence on global music and culture.
Reacting to the development, his son and fellow Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, said the recognition was a significant moment for his father’s legacy.
“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,” he said.
A former manager and long-time associate of the late musician, Rikki Stein, described the honour as overdue, noting that global attention to African contributions had increased in recent years.
“Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing quite a bit of late,” Stein said.
According to the BBC, the recognition comes amid growing global interest in African music, driven largely by the international success of Afrobeats, a genre rooted in Fela’s pioneering work.
In 2024, the Grammy Awards introduced the Best African Performance category, while Nigerian singer Burna Boy received a nomination this year in the Best Global Music Album category.
Fela’s Lifetime Achievement Award places him among renowned global music figures. Previous 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 award ceremony to receive the honour 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 activist and the creator of Afrobeat. Alongside drummer Tony Allen, he developed the genre by blending West African rhythms with jazz, funk and highlife, characterised by extended improvisation and politically charged lyrics.
During a career that spanned several decades until his death in 1997, Fela released more than 50 albums and became a vocal critic of authority, often clashing with Nigerian military governments through his music and activism.
