The Recording Academy has posthumously honoured legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti with the Grammy lifetime achievement award, making him the first African musician to receive the prestigious recognition.
The award was presented at the Special Merit Awards ceremony held on Saturday in Los Angeles, United States.
Fela’s children — Femi, Yeni and Kunle Kuti — received the award on behalf of the late musician, whose influence continues to shape African and global music decades after his death.
Speaking at the ceremony, Yeni Kuti expressed appreciation to the Recording Academy for recognising her father’s legacy, describing the moment as deeply emotional for the family.
“I want to thank the Grammy and everyone involved for this honour. I believe my father is smiling down on us,” she said, while also acknowledging other family members who were unable to attend the event.
Femi Kuti said the award represented more than personal recognition, noting that Afrobeat has always stood for social consciousness and resistance.
“This recognition is important not just for music, but for Africa, for democracy and for the struggle that Afrobeat represents,” he said, while thanking DJs, journalists, creatives and fans who have sustained the genre globally.
Kunle Kuti described the moment as a fulfilment of his father’s vision, stating that Afrobeat has grown into a global movement.
“Afrobeat is unstoppable. It is truly the music of the future,” he said.
The Recording Academy described Fela as the “architect of Afrobeat,” crediting him with creating the genre in the late 1960s by blending funk, jazz, salsa, calypso and traditional African rhythms.
Fela, who died in 1997, remains one of Africa’s most influential cultural figures, known for using music as a tool for political activism and social change.
