Long hailed by fans as the king of Afrobeat, Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to receive formal recognition from the global music industry nearly three decades after his death.
The Recording Academy will honour the Nigerian musician with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, making him the first African recipient of the honour, awarded posthumously. Fela died in 1997 at the age of 58.
“Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it,” his son, musician Seun Kuti, told the BBC. “It’s bringing balance to a Fela story.”
Rikki Stein, a close friend and former manager of the late artist, described the recognition as overdue. He said the Grammys had historically paid limited attention to African music but noted that this was beginning to change.
The shift follows the global rise of Afrobeats, a modern genre rooted in Fela’s Afrobeat sound. In 2024, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category. Nigerian singer Burna Boy is nominated this year for Best Global Music Album.
Fela Kuti will share the Lifetime Achievement honour with other recipients including Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan and Paul Simon. Members of Fela’s family and former collaborators are expected to attend the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.
Beyond music, Fela was known for his political activism and sharp criticism of corruption, military rule and social injustice in Nigeria. His work often drew reprisals from the authorities. In 1977, soldiers raided and burned his Lagos commune, Kalakuta Republic, after the release of his album Zombie. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, later died from injuries sustained during the assault.
Rather than retreat, Fela responded through protest music, releasing Coffin for Head of State and continuing to challenge those in power.
Across a career spanning three decades, he released more than 50 albums and, alongside drummer Tony Allen, shaped Afrobeat by blending West African rhythms, jazz, funk and politically charged lyrics.
“He wasn’t doing it for awards,” Stein said. “He was interested in liberation.”
Today, Fela Kuti’s influence remains strong, heard in the work of artists such as Burna Boy and Kendrick Lamar. For his supporters, the Grammy recognition confirms what they have long believed: Fela’s legacy is global, enduring and unfinished.
