Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, has praised the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award given to his late father, describing it as “a win for Africa and global peace.”
Fela became the first African musician to receive this award, marking a new dawn for Afrobeat music.
The award was received by his children, Yeni, Femi, and Kunle, at the 2026 Special Merit Awards, held in Los Angeles on Saturday night, January 31, 2026, before the main Grammys ceremony.
Accepting the award on behalf of his late father, Femi said, “I would like to thank all the people carrying Afrobeat that are in this place tonight. DJs, the press, our label Partisan, our lawyers, and 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.”
Yeni thanked the Recording Academy, the organizers of the annual award show, for the honour bestowed on the late music icon. She added that “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.”
Fela’s influence extends beyond music, as he was a political radical and activist who used his platform to speak against social injustice and corruption in Nigeria.
His family and friends celebrated this milestone, with Femi Kuti praising the award as a win for Africa and global peace.
Fela was bestowed the honour alongside other international heavyweights, including Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon.
In an official statement on the award, Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording Academy, describes the honorees as “an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres, and the very foundation of modern music.”
Although Fela didn’t win a Grammy during his lifetime, he has received numerous posthumous awards for his expansive contributions to global music. Most notably, his 1976 album “Zombie” was inducted into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame.
Femi Kuti and his brother, Seun Kuti, accepted the induction on his behalf, noting that their father’s music continues to unite people across the world.
In a statement released on social media, Femi wrote, “Our father’s legacy lives on. We are honored to accept this Grammy Hall of Fame award on behalf of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. His music continues to inspire and unite people across the world.”
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1962, honours performers with outstanding creative contributions to recording, and who, during their lifetimes, made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. The first recipient of the award was Bing Crosby in 1963.
For Fela, the Academy credits him with shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats, influencing global artists such as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and leaving a legacy that lives on through his family, the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine. As the creator of Afrobeat, he composed, recorded and performed over 200 songs.
Fela’s DNA is embedded in the modern Afrobeats movement that currently dominates global charts. Contemporary superstars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido have all sampled or referenced Fela’s work, viewing him as a foundational icon. His influence also transcends borders, inspiring global artists ranging from Beyoncé to Paul McCartney.
His sons and grandson have earned multiple Grammy nominations. Between the sons and grandson, the Kuti family has a total of eight Grammy nominations, with Femi Kuti receiving six across the World Music and Global Music categories, Seun Kuti receiving one nomination in the Best World Music Album category and Made Kuti receiving a nomination.
His legacy in international music and Nigerian advocacy is undeniable. He was one of the most daring and politically engaged musical artists to emerge from Nigeria.
On his creativity, Fela’s music blended local instrumentations and genres like Ghanaian highlife with American funk, jazz, and soul.
It birthed the highly referenced Afrobeat genre, the first iteration of the more contemporary, pop-leaning Afrobeats genre of the 2010s.
Fela’s music has been sampled and referenced by some of the world’s biggest artists, including Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Kelly Rowland, and many others. His legacy is kept alive through the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
