The global music community is set to celebrate one of Africa’s greatest cultural icons as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, popularly known as Baba Fela, will be posthumously honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The announcement, made by the Recording Academy, has sparked widespread excitement and pride across Nigeria and beyond, reaffirming Fela’s enduring impact on world music.

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the highest honours bestowed by the Academy, reserved for artists whose creative contributions have significantly shaped the music industry. Fela Kuti’s inclusion places him among an elite group of legendary musicians whose influence transcends generations and borders.

Born in 1938, Fela Kuti was the pioneer of Afrobeat, a powerful fusion of traditional African rhythms, jazz, funk, and highlife. Beyond music, Fela was a fearless activist who used his art as a weapon against oppression, corruption, and social injustice. His lyrics boldly challenged military regimes and spoke for the common people, making him both revered and controversial during his lifetime.

Despite never winning a competitive Grammy while alive, Fela’s music has continued to inspire global artists, scholars, and movements decades after his death in 1997. International stars such as Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Questlove, and Kendrick Lamar have all acknowledged his influence, while Afrobeat remains one of Africa’s most successful musical exports.genius but also acknowledges his role as a cultural revolutionary who reshaped African identity on the global stage.Following the announcement, fans, musicians, and cultural commentators have flooded social media with tributes, describing the honour as “long overdue” and “well deserved.” Many see it as a victory not just for Fela Kuti, but for African music and heritage as a whole.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti once declared, “Music is the weapon of the future.” Decades later, that weapon continues to resonate worldwide. With this Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Baba Fela’s legacy is firmly cemented in history — not just as a Nigerian legend, but as a global icon whose voice still echoes across generations.