Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has made history as the first African musician to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy.
The accolade was awarded posthumously at the 2026 Special Merit Awards held in Los Angeles on Saturday, the 31st of January, 2026, a day ahead of the main Grammy Awards ceremony.
Fela’s children Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa, and Femi Kuti attended the event to accept the honour on his behalf.
In her address to the audience, Yeni Kuti expressed gratitude to the Recording Academy, saying she believed their father would be “smiling down on us.”
She also acknowledged her siblings, Motunrayo and Seun, who were absent, and commended her nephew, Made Kuti, for carrying Afrobeat to new heights.
“I’m sure my father is smiling down on us. 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,” Yeni said.
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Femi Kuti, speaking at the ceremony, thanked everyone contributing to the global reach of Afrobeat, including DJs, media practitioners, their record label Partisan, legal teams, and fans worldwide. He described the recognition as a landmark not only for their father but also for Africa and the broader 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 remarked.
Fela received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award alongside other global music icons, including Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon.