Fela Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat, became the first African artist to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. His sons, Femi and Seun Kuti, accepted the award on his behalf, dedicating it to their father’s legacy and African music.
The 2026 GRAMMY Winners
Kuti became the first winner of the weekend as he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at the Special Merit Awards on Saturday, January 31st. The recognition makes Fela the first African artist to ever receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. Fela’s children — Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa and Femi Kuti — accepted the award in their father’s honor. “I’m sure my father is smiling down on us,” Yeni said in the acceptance speech,
On Sunday night, during the Awards Premiere Ceremony, South African superstar Tyla took home the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for her single “Push 2 Start.” Tyla won two years after winning the Best African Music Performance category’s inaugural year. She beat out the likes of Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Eddy Kenzo, Ayra Starr and Wizkid to win the Best African Music Performance award in 2026.
Angélique Kidjo didn’t win for “Jerusalema” in the Best Global Music Performance category, and Burna Boy (No Sign of Weakness) and Youssou N’dour (Eclairer Le Monde) lost out in the Best Global Music Album category.
Nigerian American artist Shaboozey won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his single “Amen,” alongside Jelly Roll. He talked about the current political climate in the United States during his acceptance speech saying, “immigrants literally built this country.”
The Nominees
In the Best African Music Performance category, the nominees reflect the breadth of the continent’s sound in 2025. Burna Boy earns a spot with “Love”, while Davido and Omah Lay come in with the tender, radio-favored “With You.” Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo teams up with Mehran Matin on “Hope & Love,” while Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s effortlessly catchy “Gimme Dat” also makes the list, standing alongside Tyla‘s “Push 2 Start.” Angélique Kidjo returns to familiar territory with a nomination for Best Global Music Performance for “Jerusalema,” reaffirming her status as one of the continent’s most decorated and enduring cultural ambassadors. Similarly, Burna Boy extends his international streak with a nod for Best Global Music Album, making it the 11th time he’s been nominated.
Nigerian-American country artist Shaboozey earns a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance with “Good News,” and also appears in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “Amen,” alongside Jelly Roll. In the Best Global Music Album category, two giants who have shaped the modern sound of the continent stand side by side. Burna Boy lands a nomination for No Sign of Weakness, while Senegalese maestro Youssou N’Dour, whose album Éclairer le monde (Light the World) speaks to his long-standing role as both cultural ambassador and sonic innovator.
The Recording Academy has continued to diversify and globalize its membership, incorporating more voices with lived experience across a wider array of musical cultures. As the voting body becomes more reflective of the world’s actual musical communities, the awards naturally shift as well, which makes possible an environment in which African musicians are an essential part of defining the core of the conversation.
The 2025 GRAMMYs offered a clear illustration of this shift. Tems won the award for Best African Music Performance with “Love Me JeJe,” a recognition that reflected positively on her ongoing rise and the Academy’s increasing acknowledgment of African innovation as a contemporary cultural force. South African flautist Wouter Kellerman also earned a win in the New Age/Ambient category, the third in his career so far, proving that African musicians are excelling across genres that have historically seldom recognized them. And although some African nominees did not take home trophies in the major categories, their presence alone marked a meaningful step forward. The Grammys have come a long way, but work still needs to be done if African music is to be viewed in its fullness.
The question now is how far this influence will extend and how it will continue to reshape the global landscape of sound. The Grammys affirm that the continent is firmly in the room. It’s in the sound, the style, and the pulse of the present.
