- Fela Kuti to be honoured at 2026 Grammy Awards
- Recording Academy names him pioneer of Afrobeat
- Award to be presented during Grammy Week
- Global music icons influenced by his work
Legendary Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti will be posthumously celebrated at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where he is set to receive a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lasting impact on global music and the creation of Afrobeat.
In a statement released ahead of the ceremony, the Academy described Fela as the “architect of Afrobeat,” acknowledging his role in shaping one of Africa’s most influential musical genres.
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“An architect of Afrobeat, honoured for a lifetime of influence. Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician, producer, arranger, political radical, activist, and the father of Afrobeat,” the statement read.
The Academy noted that in the 1960s, Fela fused funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and traditional Nigerian rhythms to create Afrobeat, a sound that has since inspired generations of musicians across the world.
Fela will join a distinguished list of past recipients of the Special Merit Award, including Whitney Houston, Cher, and Paul Simon.
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His influence continues to resonate globally, with artists such as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke citing his work as inspirational.
The Recording Academy added that Fela’s legacy lives on not only through his music, but also through his family, the Kalakuta Museum, and the New Afrika Shrine, which remain cultural landmarks in Nigeria.
The Special Merit Awards ceremony is scheduled to hold on January 31, 2026, during Grammy Week, ahead of the main Grammy Awards event.
