The Recording Academy has announced Nigerian music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, as a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African artist to be so honoured.
The award will be presented posthumously, nearly 30 years after Fela’s death in 1997, in recognition of his enduring influence on global music and culture.
Reacting to the announcement, Fela’s son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, described the recognition as long overdue, saying it helps to “bring balance to a Fela story.”
“Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it is a double victory,” Seun told the BBC.
A longtime associate and former manager of the late musician, Rikki Stein, also welcomed the honour, describing it as “better late than never,” while noting increased global attention on African music in recent years.
Fela’s influence remains evident in the global rise of Afrobeats, a contemporary genre inspired by the Afrobeat sound he pioneered. In 2024, the Grammys introduced a Best African Performance category, while Nigerian superstar Burna Boy has received a nomination this year in the Best Global Music Album category.
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, first presented in 1963, recognises performers who have made outstanding contributions to the recording field. Other recipients this year include 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.
Beyond music, Fela Kuti was widely known as a political activist and cultural revolutionary, whose works challenged oppression, corruption, and military authoritarianism in Nigeria.
His 1977 album Zombie, which criticised military rule, led to a violent raid on his Lagos commune, Kalakuta Republic, during which his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, sustained injuries that later led to her death. Fela responded through music, notably with the song Coffin for Head of State.
“He was not interested in awards. He was interested in liberation and freeing the mind,” Stein said.
During a career spanning over three decades, Fela released more than 50 albums, blending West African rhythms, jazz, funk, highlife, and politically charged lyrics. He developed Afrobeat alongside drummer Tony Allen, influencing generations of artists across Africa and the diaspora.
Fela’s stage performances at the Afrika Shrine in Lagos were legendary, often featuring large bands and immersive audience participation.
