Fela set to become first African to receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Fela Kuti ,vocal, performs at Vredenburg on 3rd November 1988 in Utrecht, the Netherlands ( photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns)

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The late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will be posthumously honoured with a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award at the 67th Grammys, making him the first African musician to receive the award.

The Nigerian legend will be honoured alongside other international music maestros such as Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Cher and Chaka Khan.

In an official statement, 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”.

The Recording Academy recognised Fela as the “architect of Afrobeat,” highlighting his transformative influence on the genre and his enduring impact on generations of artists.

The Academy has previously inducted Fela’s 1976 album Zombie into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame.

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