Legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has received historic global recognition, becoming the first African musician to be selected for the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, decades after his death and years after his influence reshaped popular music worldwide.
The honour places the Nigerian musician among a select group of global icons recognised for artistic impact that transcends commercial success, reflecting the enduring reach of his sound, political defiance, and cultural legacy across generations.
Reactions from close associates and family described the recognition as long overdue, noting that Fela’s influence had already been cemented in popular consciousness long before formal validation from global award institutions.
The Recording Academy announced the decision ahead of the forthcoming Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, where members of Fela’s family and associates are expected to receive the posthumous award on his behalf.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, his son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, welcomed the recognition, saying “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.”
Reflecting further on his father’s legacy, Seun Kuti added “The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” noting that Fela’s influence extended beyond music through leadership, musicianship, and fatherhood, which he described as central to who his father was.
Former manager and longtime associate, Rikki Stein, also told the BBC that the honour was “better late than never,” adding “Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing quite a bit of late.”
Fela, widely credited with shaping Afrobeat alongside drummer Tony Allen, released more than 50 albums during a career that blended music with political resistance, using lyrics to confront corruption, military rule, and social injustice until his death in 1997.
