Celebrating Fela’s Grammy

Ferdinard Ekechukwu

The recently held 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles featured many historic wins and reflective speeches that resonated across continents. It was heralded by a weekend of high emotions, and a reminder of Africa’s influence on the global stage. It refocused how far our sounds have moved from the shores of the continent to the global stage. 

While many fans’ favourites were in the building, the weekend belonged to creatives who broke new grounds and carried the culture with pride. Although Nigeria left the 2026 Grammy Awards without a win, despite having nominees in two categories, this year’s event marked a full-circle moment for hip-hop’s past, present, and future as the genre once again was a factor in conversation.

Across major categories, hip-hop’s leading artists once again bolded the creative expansion of rap into melody, storytelling, and cross-genre collaborations. The weekend kicked off on a legendary note as the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti became the first African artist to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. 

During the Special Merit Awards on Saturday night, Fela’s children—Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa, and Femi Kuti were seen to have welcomed the award, with Seun Kuti noting it brings “balance to a Fela story” that has long been in the hearts of the people, celebrating the honour on his behalf as they accepted the Afrobeat pioneer’s monumental legacy.

Davido, one of the Nigeria’s leading stars riding the global Afrobeats craze was also seen with the Kuti family in Los Angeles among other names. Fela’s grandson Made Kuti, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2022 said his grandfather “was on the same professional level as the best of the best in the world that have ever existed.

“There are not many people you can trace back as an originator of a style of music that would take that risk and be so creative that it’s really, truly developed into a genre that lives on its own,” he was quoted to have said.

Back home, Nigerians overwhelmingly celebrated the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for the Afrobeat king Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the first African to be honoured this way.

President Tinubu and the public hailed it as a long-overdue validation of his global influence, with many viewing it as a symbolic, well-deserved recognition of his legacy as a revolutionary artist. Tinubu described Fela as a “fearless voice,” “philosopher of freedom,” and a “revolutionary force” whose music continues to inspire and reshape global sound.  

Many Nigerians, including fans on social media, expressed that while the honor was warranted; it arrived late, wondering why it took so long for international recognition of his massive impact. The Lagos State Government and cultural voices noted the award reinforces Fela’s role in shaping modern music and his fight against injustice.

Some fans suggested the award should be displayed at the Kalakuta Museum. While celebrating, some Nigerians questioned the need for Western validation, with some asking why his genius wasn’t fully celebrated by the Recording Academy while he was alive.  Today, Fela’s legacy lives on through his music, the artists he inspired, and the worldwide influence of Afrobeat.

The award underscores his iconic contribution to music and as the inspiration of one of the most popular contemporary African music genres, Afrobeats. Nigerian music critics welcomed the recognition as a reflection of his enduring influence.  “What the recognition means locally is the inspiration Fela has provided for over 50 years,” Joey Akan, a Nigerian music critic told The Associated Press.

Fela, a multi-instrumentalist known more popularly by his first name, was born in 1938 in colonial Nigeria. Fela invented the Afrobeat genre in the late 1960s. His music career, which spanned decades between the late 1950s and up to the 1990s across multiple countries, is a signature blend Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.

That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria. In recent years, music from Africa has gained significant recognition at the Recording Academy. In 2024, the academy introduced the Best African music performance category to recognise genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, highlife and other sounds from the continent.

Off the newly accommodated genres, Burna Boy, Tems, and South Africa’s Tyla have won various awards at the Grammys since 2021, reflecting the growing global respect for African music and culture.  Many global artists, including Beyoncé, Mos Def, Nas, and J.Cole have also sampled Fela, with his songs sound tracking many Hollywood productions.