Legendary Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is set to be posthumously honoured with a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards.

The Recording Academy recognised Fela as the “architect of Afrobeat” whose work transformed the genre and influenced generations of artists.

“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. In the 1960s, he created the genre by combining funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and a blend of traditional Nigerian rhythms,” the statement read in part.

He will be joining an esteemed group of past recipients, including Whitney Houston, Cher, and Paul Simon.

Fela’s impact on music is undeniable, having created Afrobeat in the 1960s by blending funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and traditional Nigerian rhythms.

His influence extends to global artists like Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke, and his legacy lives on through his family, the Kalakuta Museum, and the New Afrika Shrine.

The academy added, “His influence spans generations, shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats and inspiring global artists such as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke. His legacy continues to live on not only through music, but through his family and through the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine.

“On January 31, 2026, we are honouring this year’s Special Merit Award recipients, including Fela Kuti with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The Special Merit Awards ceremony will take place on January 31, 2026, during Grammy Week, ahead of the main Grammys event. (The Nation)

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