US EditionFela Kuti's Grammy lifetime achievement award is a major win for
Fela Kuti is the first African artist honored with this Grammy award for pioneering Afrobeat, a genre blending jazz, funk, and African rhythms with political activism.
- On Saturday, the Grammys awarded Nigeria's Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, accepted by members of his family in Los Angeles.
- Fela's 1970s innovations established Afrobeat by blending jazz, funk and African rhythms, using it for activism against corruption and military rule, and laying groundwork for Afrobeats.
- Made Kuti, grandson of Fela, said the recognition was long overdue, praising Fela's global reach and legacy carried on by his sons Femi and Seun Kuti.
- Industry observers said the honour underscores Fela's influence on Afrobeats and reflects the Recording Academy's rising recognition of African artists in recent years.
- Having died in 1997, Fela's award is posthumous and recognizes his activism despite a 1977 raid on Kalakuta Republic that killed Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Fela, Tyla, Bad Bunny, Others Shine At 68th Grammys
The just concluded 68th Annual Grammy Awards recorded several historic moments, with African and international artists taking centre stage. A major highlight of the night was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The posthumous honour recognised Fela’s lasting impact on global music and his role in shaping Afrobeat as a powerful and influential sound from Africa. Members of his family received the awa…
Associated Press News
Fela Kuti’s Grammy lifetime achievement award is a major win for African music
Fela Kuti has become the first African to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at the Grammys Special Merit Awards.
Fela Kuti makes history with posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Nigeria’s Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti has been posthumously honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction. The award will be presented in Los Angeles during a special ceremony held on the eve of the main Grammys gala.
Fela Kuti Becomes First African Artist Honoured with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
History was made at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards as Fela Kuti became the first African artist to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His children—Femi, Yeni, Shalewa, and Kunle Kuti—accepted the honour on his behalf at the Special Merit Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The Recording Academy recognised Fela’s global impact alongside music legends Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon. Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording A…
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