The Recording Academy will honour Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards
Grammys to Honour Fela Kuti with Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026
Legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is set to receive a posthumous Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards, in a historic recognition of his monumental impact on global music.
The Recording Academy announced the honour, describing Fela as the “architect of Afrobeat” whose revolutionary sound reshaped African music and inspired generations of artists worldwide.
“An architect of Afrobeat, honoured for a lifetime of influence,” the Academy stated.
“Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician, producer, arranger, political radical, activist, and the father of Afrobeat. In the 1960s, he created the genre by combining funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and a blend of traditional Nigerian rhythms.”
The late icon will join an elite list of previous Special Merit Award recipients, including Whitney Houston, Cher, and Paul Simon, underscoring his enduring global relevance decades after his passing.
Fela’s music went beyond entertainment, serving as a powerful tool for political activism and social consciousness. His fearless critiques of oppression and corruption made him both a cultural hero and a thorn in the side of military regimes during his lifetime.
The Academy further highlighted his far-reaching influence, noting:
“His influence spans generations, shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats and inspiring global artists such as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke. His legacy continues to live on not only through music, but through his family and through the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine.”
The Special Merit Awards ceremony will take place on January 31, 2026, during Grammy Week, ahead of the main Grammy Awards event. The honour cements Fela Kuti’s status as one of the most influential musicians in world history. Read More
