Fela becomes first African to receive Grammy lifetime honour

Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has received a major global honour nearly three decades after his death.

The BBC reported on Friday that the Recording Academy will posthumously confer a Lifetime Achievement Award on the Nigerian music icon at the Grammy Awards, making him the first African to receive the honour.

The award recognises Fela’s lasting impact on global music and culture, according to the BBC

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Reacting to the recognition, his son and Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, said, “Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory. It’s bringing balance to a Fela story.”

A former manager and long-time associate of the late singer, Rikki Stein, said the honour was long overdue.

“Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing quite a bit of late,” Stein said.

The BBC noted that the recognition comes amid rising global interest in African music, driven largely by the international success of Afrobeats, a genre rooted in Fela’s work.

In 2024, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category, while Nigerian singer Burna Boy earned a nomination this year in the Best Global Music Album category.

Fela’s Lifetime Achievement Award places him among global music legends. Past recipients include Bing Crosby, while this year’s honourees also feature Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan and Paul Simon.

Members of Fela’s family, friends and associates are expected to attend the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.

“The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” Seun Kuti said.

The BBC described Fela as more than a musician, portraying him as a cultural thinker, political agitator and the creator of Afrobeat.

With drummer Tony Allen, he developed the genre by blending West African rhythms with jazz, funk and highlife, marked by extended improvisation and politically charged lyrics.

During a career that lasted until his death in 1997, Fela released over 50 albums and became a fierce critic of authority, repeatedly clashing with the Nigerian military governments through his music and activism.