Long crowned by his legion of fans as the king of Afrobeat, the late Fela Kuti is finally being recognised by the global music industry.

The Nigerian star will posthumously receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys - almost three decades after his death at the age of 58.

Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it's a double victory, his musician son Seun Kuti tells the BBC.

It's bringing balance to a Fela story, he adds. Rikki Stein, a long-time friend and manager of the late musician, says the recognition by the Grammys is better late than never.

Africa hasn't in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that's changing quite a bit of late, Stein tells the BBC.

Following the global success of Afrobeats, a genre inspired by Fela's sound, the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024.

This year, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy also has a nomination in the Best Global Music Album category. But Fela Kuti will be the first African to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, albeit posthumously. The award was first presented in 1963 to American singer and actor Bing Crosby.

Fela Kuti's family, as well as friends and colleagues, will be attending the Grammys to receive his award.

The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it's my father, Seun Kuti tells the BBC.

Stein says it is important to recognise Fela as a man who championed the cause of people who had drawn life's short straw, adding that he castigated any form of social injustice, corruption, and mismanagement in government.

For Fela Anikulapo Kuti was not simply a musician, but also a cultural theorist, political agitator and the undisputed architect of Afrobeat - which is distinct from, but ultimately led to, the modern sound of Afrobeats.

Across a career spanning roughly three decades until his death in 1997, Fela Kuti released more than 50 albums and built a body of work that fused music with ideology, rhythm with resistance, and performance with protest.

Even today, Fela Kuti's musical evolution continues to inspire modern artists globally.