Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti was on Saturday evening posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.
Issued on: 01/02/2026 - RFI
Fela Kuti live at The Academy, Brixton, London 1983. © Redferns - David Corio
After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela's death and long after his influence reshaped global music.
He was one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala.
Other recipients included Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.
Fela's son Femi Kuti accepted the award on his father's behalf.
"Thank you for bringing our father here," he told the audience."It’s so important for us, it’s so important for Africa, it’s so important for world peace and the struggle."
In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.
That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.
Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.
After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela's death and long after his influence reshaped global music.
He was one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala.
Other recipients included Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.
Fela's son Femi Kuti accepted the award on his father's behalf.
"Thank you for bringing our father here," he told the audience."It’s so important for us, it’s so important for Africa, it’s so important for world peace and the struggle."
In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.
That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.
Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.
Tems accepts the Best African Music Performance award for "Love Me JeJe" onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at Peacock Theater on 2 February, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images via AFP - AMY SUSSMAN
'Black President'
"Fela's influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats," said a citation on the Grammys list of this year's honorees.
Known also as the "Black President", the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.
His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.
Nigerian Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, 79, dies in Paris
"This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful," Grammy-nominated Made Kuti told French news agency AFP ahead of the ceremony.
"It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it."
Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela's first cousin and head of the family, told AFP on Friday the award was "a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated.
"But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please ...not wait till people are dead," she said.
'Black President'
"Fela's influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats," said a citation on the Grammys list of this year's honorees.
Known also as the "Black President", the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.
His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.
Nigerian Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, 79, dies in Paris
"This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful," Grammy-nominated Made Kuti told French news agency AFP ahead of the ceremony.
"It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it."
Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela's first cousin and head of the family, told AFP on Friday the award was "a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated.
"But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please ...not wait till people are dead," she said.
NIgerian musician Femi Kuti, interviewed by RFI / F24 at the 39th edition of the Nuits d'Afrique international festival in Montreal, Canada in July, 2025. © RFI
Onward and upward
As to what would have been Fela's reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: "I'm sure he would have said better late than never" although "in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world particularly the western world".
Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.
His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album "Zombie", generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.
Paris exhibition celebrates Fela Kuti, the rebel king of Afrobeat
His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.
His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles ahead of the ceremony, was confident the award would "significantly uplift Fela's music".
"Fifty albums out there. I'm sure it's going to continue onward and upward."
"An increasing number of people what weren't even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela's music and hopefully Fela's message," he told AFP.
(with AFP)
Onward and upward
As to what would have been Fela's reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: "I'm sure he would have said better late than never" although "in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world particularly the western world".
Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.
His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album "Zombie", generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.
Paris exhibition celebrates Fela Kuti, the rebel king of Afrobeat
His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.
His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles ahead of the ceremony, was confident the award would "significantly uplift Fela's music".
"Fifty albums out there. I'm sure it's going to continue onward and upward."
"An increasing number of people what weren't even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela's music and hopefully Fela's message," he told AFP.
(with AFP)
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