In a historic nod to African musical genius, the Recording Academy has posthumously awarded Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat, its Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African recipient.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrated the icon as “more than a musician,” hailing him as a “fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force” whose courage and creativity reshaped global sound and continue to inspire generations.
“In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal,” Tinubu declared, affirming Fela’s blazing trail from Nigeria to the world stage.
Tinubu’s words: “The world of music has honoured a giant: Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
“Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound.
“His courage, creativity, and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world. In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.
“Fela Kuti has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America's Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African to receive this honour, though posthumously. The award is an affirmation of his enduring global influence and the foundational role he has played in the evolution and impact of Africa on modern music.
“He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond.
“Fela lives!”
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