The Recording Academy has announced that Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti will posthumously receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African artist to earn the honour.
The award, which will be presented during the Grammy Special Merit Awards in Los Angeles, comes nearly 29 years after Fela’s death in 1997 at the age of 58. The Lifetime Achievement Award was first introduced in 1963 and has never been awarded to an African musician.
Fela Kuti’s son, Seun Kuti, welcomed the recognition, describing it as a long-overdue acknowledgment of his father’s influence.
“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,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
Seun added that the honour goes beyond personal pride.“The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father.”
Fela Kuti, born Olufela Olusegun Oludoton Ransome-Kuti in 1938, is widely regarded as the creator of Afrobeat, a genre he developed alongside drummer Tony Allen. His music combined West African rhythms, jazz, funk, highlife, and politically charged lyrics, and became a vehicle for open criticism of military rule, corruption, and social injustice in Nigeria.
Across a career spanning roughly three decades, Fela released more than 50 albums and performed extensively in Africa, Europe, and North America. His work repeatedly brought him into conflict with Nigeria’s military governments.
In 1977, following the release of his album Zombie, which mocked the army, his Lagos commune known as Kalakuta Republic was raided by soldiers. The compound was destroyed, and his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, later died from injuries sustained during the attack. Fela responded by releasing the protest song Coffin for Head of State.
Rikki Stein, a longtime friend and former manager of the musician, said of the Grammy recognition:
“It’s better late than never. Africa hasn’t in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that’s changing,” Stein said.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients also include Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, and Paul Simon. Members of Fela Kuti’s family and close associates are expected to attend the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.
Just recently in 2024, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category. Nigerian artist Burna Boy is nominated this year for Best Global Music Album.
Fela Kuti’s influence remains visible in contemporary music; artists such as Burna Boy, Kendrick Lamar, and Idris Elba have cited his work as an inspiration.
