Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti has made history as the first African artist to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy.
The late music icon was posthumously honored at the 2026 Special Merit Awards, held in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31, on the eve of the main Grammy Awards ceremony.
The award was accepted on his behalf by his children; Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa, and Femi Kuti.
Speaking during the ceremony, Yeni expressed gratitude to the Recording Academy, saying she was certain their father would be “smiling down on us.” She also acknowledged her siblings, who were unable to attend, Motunrayo and Seun, as well as her nephew, Made, whom she praised for taking Afrobeat to new heights.
‘I’m sure my father is smiling down on us,” Yeni said in the acceptance speech, “I want to acknowledge my siblings who couldn’t be here tonight, Motunrayo and Seun, and my nephew who is carrying Afrobeat to another level, Made.”
Femi Kuti, in his remarks, thanked everyone who continues to champion Afrobeat worldwide, including DJs, members of the media, their label Partisan, legal representatives, and fans across the globe. He described the recognition as significant not just for their father, but for Africa, world peace, and the ongoing struggle for justice.
“I would like to thank all the people carrying Afrobeat that are in this place tonight. DJs, the press, our label Partisan, our lawyers, fans all over the world. Thank you for bringing our father here, it’s so important for Africa. It’s so important for world peace and struggle,” Femi continued.
Fela received the prestigious honor alongside other global music icons such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon.
In an official statement on the matter, Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording Academy, describes the honorees as “an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres, and the very foundation of modern music.
This posthumous recognition by the Recording Academy cements Fela’s status as a global cultural architect from Nigeria, whose influence on music and political consciousness remains unmatched.
Established in 1962, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honours performers with outstanding creative contributions to recording, and who, during their lifetimes, made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. The first recipient of the award was Bing Crosby in 1963.
