Published: August 19, 2026 | By Prosper Mene
Benin’s global music icon Angélique Kidjo has made history.
The 5-time Grammy winner was honoured on August 18, 2026 with the 2,854th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Recording category — becoming the first African musician ever to receive the recognition.
The unveiling took place at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, with Kidjo kneeling beside her star in a vibrant orange outfit and blue headwrap.
To mark the occasion, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce officially declared August 18 as “Angélique Kidjo Day” in Hollywood.
This is a first for African music. While the Walk of Fame has celebrated global icons for over 60 years, Kidjo is the first Black African artist and the first African musician to be immortalized there. Across all entertainment categories, she is only the second African-born entertainer to receive a star, after South African actress Charlize Theron.
Born in Ouidah, Benin, Kidjo grew up surrounded by West African rhythms before moving to Paris in the 1980s. Over the last 40 years, she has released 19 studio albums, blending Fon, Yoruba and pan-African sounds with jazz, funk, R&B and pop.
Her accolades include:
– 5 Grammy Awards
– Polar Music Prize
– A spot on TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list
– Years of advocacy as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
The ceremony was hosted by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson and drew a powerful crowd.
Speakers included Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe, longtime friend of Kidjo, and Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy.
Beninese actor Djimon Hounsou and Nigerian star Adekunle Gold were also in attendance to support her.
In her acceptance speech, Kidjo made it clear the honour was bigger than her.
“We Africans don’t know what we’ve given to the world, and what we continue giving to the world for music to exist,” she said.
“It’s not just my star. It’s our star.”
For many, this star is long overdue. Kidjo helped pave the modern path for African music on the global stage — long before “Afrobeats to the world” became a catchphrase.
From Ouidah to Hollywood Boulevard, her star now sits permanently in the Recording category, a reminder that African sound has always shaped global music.
