Angélique Kidjo Becomes First African Artist to Get Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
- Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo made history as the first African musician to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star
- The Beninese singer received the 2,854th star at a ceremony held on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, on Hollywood Boulevard
- Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. were among those who attended the ceremony
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Angélique Kidjo has etched her name into entertainment history, becoming the first African musician and the first Black African artiste to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The five-time Grammy Award winner was honoured on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at a ceremony held at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, directly opposite the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Her star, the 2,854th on the famous boulevard, was awarded in the Recording category.
Source: Instagram
Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Harvey Mason Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Recording Academy, were present at the ceremony to mark the occasion alongside the Beninese singer.
A Career Spanning Four Decades
The recognition celebrates more than 40 years of music, cultural advocacy and humanitarian work by the 66-year-old singer, who first began singing at the age of six.
Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez captured the significance of the moment when the honour was announced.
She stated:
"Angélique Kidjo's extraordinary artistry and global influence have inspired audiences across generations and continents. We are proud to honour her as the first African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising her remarkable contributions to music and culture around the world."
Kidjo's sound is a rich blend of Afropop, jazz, funk, reggae and traditional African music, drawing from her Beninese roots while weaving in Yoruba music, Afrobeat, Caribbean rhythms and American soul.
Songs such as Agolo, Wombo Lombo, We We, Batonga and Afirika carried African languages and rhythms to audiences far beyond the continent.
Kidjo's Grammy-Winning Discography
Over the course of her career, Kidjo has released 18 studio albums and collaborated with some of the biggest names in global music, including Alicia Keys, Bono, Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Pharrell Williams and Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Her five Grammy Awards came from the albums Djin Djin, Eve, Sings, Celia and Mother Nature, each project reflecting her ability to move between musical worlds without losing the distinctly African voice at the heart of her artistry.
Watch an X video of Angélique Kidjo joining
Reactions trail Angelique Kidjo's Hall-of-Fame
Legit.ng compiled the comments of social media users below:
@j_blackelf stated:
"Africa don’t really care about that anyway, but congratulations to her since she loves it. But yeah we don’t care!!"
@AksumOf noted:
"Since when is a fascist, genocidal, imperial state like the US of Israel the beacon of recognition for African talent? Hollywood."
@NanibuLioness shared:
"Congratulations Angelique Kidjo. It's happy and sad at the same. There are many talented African artists, and for her to be the first is surprising. Hollywood and it's iron gate and padlock, when it comes to recognising and awarding Black for their work or even giving them work"
Source: Instagram
Reactions trail Davido’s collaboration with Angélique
According to a previous report by Legit.ng, Davido announced his new collaboration, 'Joy,' with Angélique Kidjo on X, but fans seemed unsatisfied with it.
In the post, he mentioned when the song would be released and posted the cover of the anticipated music.
The announcement sparked mixed reactions from fans who shared their hot takes in the comment section.
Source: Legit.ng
