Legendary Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has been selected to receive the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
With the recognition, the late singer becomes the first African artist to be honoured posthumously.
The Recording Academy in charge of the event, announced that the award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony scheduled for Saturday, January 31, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
The event will hold a day before the main Grammy Awards.
The recognition elevates the late Nigerian musician into an elite circle of global figures whose artistic contributions have left a permanent imprint on recorded music.
In its citation, the Academy described Fela as a towering creative force whose work continues to shape culture across continents.
“Fela’s influence and catalogue of music have been widely celebrated and explored, including the podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man and the Tony Award winning Broadway production Fela! The Musical,” the Academy said.
It added that, “Fela’s influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping the evolution of modern Nigerian Afrobeats.”
The Academy also underscored Fela’s role as a fearless political voice whose music consistently challenged authority.
“A titanic sociopolitical voice, Afrobeat’s revolutionary politics brought Fela into violent conflict with successive Nigerian military regimes, which made many attempts to suppress him.
“They once sent in the army to burn down his communal home, the Kalakuta Republic,” it said.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be received on behalf of the late icon by members of his family, including Yeni, Femi and Kunle Kuti, who have sustained his legacy through platforms such as the New Afrika Shrine.
Fela, a saxophonist, pianist, composer and bandleader, released more than 60 albums and pioneered Afrobeat by blending West African rhythms with jazz, funk, highlife and soul.
He also deployed music as a tool against corruption, authoritarianism and social injustice.
He died on August 2, 1997, aged 58.
The honour comes a year after the induction of Fela’s 1976 album Zombie into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Other 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher and Paul Simon.
Organisers said a special live band tribute celebrating Fela’s music and activism will also hold in Los Angeles as part of Grammy weekend activities.
Reacting, Fela’s youngest son, Seun Kuti, described the recognition as a victory for Afrobeat and politically conscious music.
“We are all proud as a family. It is just a shame that I can’t be there physically to join my family to accept the honour because of travel restrictions,” he said.
He added, “Nevertheless, the family is proud. It’s a good day for African music, Afrobeat culture and resistance music.
