Fela Kuti to receive posthumous lifetime achievement Grammy Award, first for an African musician

Legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, nearly three decades after his death, marking a historic first for an African musician, the BBC reports.

Widely regarded as the architect of Afrobeat, Fela’s recognition comes amid growing global appreciation of African music, following the worldwide rise of Afrobeats and the Grammys’ introduction of the Best African Performance category in 2024.

Reacting to the news, 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.”

Long-time friend and former manager Rikki Stein also welcomed the award, describing it as “better late than never,” while noting Africa’s historical marginalisation in global music award considerations.

Members of Fela’s family, friends, and colleagues are expected to attend the Grammy ceremony to receive the award on his behalf, celebrating a legacy that fused music with political resistance and cultural assertion.

Beyond his music, Fela was a fierce critic of social injustice, corruption, and military rule in Nigeria, using his art as a tool against oppression—a stance that often put him at odds with successive military governments.

His activism reached a tragic flashpoint in 1977 after the release of Zombie, when soldiers raided and burnt his Lagos commune, the Kalakuta Republic, an attack that led to the death of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, following injuries she sustained.

Rather than retreat, Fela responded with defiance, famously carrying his mother’s coffin to government offices and releasing Coffin for Head of State, transforming personal loss into political protest and solidifying his role as a cultural and political icon.