Legendary Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, widely recognised as the creator of Afrobeat, is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy has announced.
The accolade, bestowed posthumously, acknowledges artists whose creative contributions have had a profound and lasting impact on the world of recorded music.
The announcement, made public this week, places Kuti alongside an illustrious roster of honourees that includes Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Cher, Carlos Santana and Chaka Khan.
The celebratory Special Merit Awards Ceremony will take place on 31 January 2026, on the eve of the main Grammy event in Los Angeles during Grammy Week.
“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,” wrote the Academy.
Fela Kuti, who died in 1997, never won a Grammy during his lifetime, but his influence on music and culture has grown steadily in the decades since his passing.
Described by the Recording Academy as the “architect of Afrobeat”, Kuti fused elements of funk, jazz, salsa and traditional West African rhythms to invent a genre that became a cornerstone of modern African music and a source of inspiration for artists across the globe.
In 2025, his 1976 album Zombie was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a rare honour for an African recording and a testament to his enduring artistic significance.
Beyond his musical innovation, Kuti was also known for his fearless political activism.
His lyrics and performances often confronted corruption and injustice in Nigeria and beyond, earning him admirers and detractors alike.
Kuti’s legacy lives on through his large and influential family, including sons Femi and Seun Kuti, who have continued performing Afrobeat internationally.
The Lifetime Achievement Award not only honours Fela’s past accomplishments but also highlights the genre’s ongoing relevance in the global music scene.