In what many have described as long-overdue global recognition, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has been posthumously honoured with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, placing Africa’s most defiant musical voice on the world’s most prestigious pedestal.

The ceremony, held on January 31, 2026, in Los Angeles, saw Fela’s children step forward to receive the honour, decades after his music shook power structures and challenged global injustice.

The award acknowledged Fela’s revolutionary role in world music, where he fused West African highlife with American jazz and funk to birth Afrobeat, a genre that became both a sound and a protest movement.

Even in death, Fela’s influence continues to ripple across continents, inspiring generations of artistes and activists who see music as a weapon of truth.

His children, Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa, and Femi Kuti, accepted the award, with emotional tributes reflecting both pride and unfinished struggle.

Yeni said, “‘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.”

Femi added, “I would like to thank all the people carrying Afrobeat that are in this place tonight… Thank you for bringing our father here. It’s so important for Africa, world peace, and the struggle.”

The recognition places Fela alongside legends such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon, sealing his status as a global cultural giant.