Grammys to Honour Fela Kuti with Lifetime Achievement Award, Making History for Africa

|By Queen Banigo

The Recording Academy has announced that late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will be posthumously honoured with a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award at the 67th Grammy Awards, marking a historic first for Africa.

With the recognition, Fela becomes the first African musician to receive the prestigious lifetime honour, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in global music history.

The Nigerian music legend will be celebrated alongside world-renowned artists including Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Cher and Chaka Khan—an ensemble the Recording Academy describes as trailblazers whose work has shaped modern music across generations.

In an official statement, Recording Academy Chief Executive Officer, Harvey Mason Jr., described the honourees as “an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres, and the very foundation of modern music.”

The Academy also reaffirmed Fela’s enduring legacy by naming him the “architect of Afrobeat,” a genre he forged through a fusion of jazz, funk, highlife and African rhythms, while using his music as a powerful tool for social and political commentary.

Earlier this year, the Recording Academy inducted Fela’s 1976 album Zombie into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame, further underscoring his lasting impact on global music and culture.