Beninese music icon Angélique Kidjo has made history as the first African musician to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The five-time Grammy Award winner was honoured on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during a ceremony in Los Angeles, where the 2,854th star in the Recording category was unveiled in her name.
The star was unveiled at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, opposite the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The ceremony was hosted by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson and featured Academy Award-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. as guest speakers.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce also proclaimed August 18 as Angélique Kidjo Day in Hollywood, adding another layer to the historic occasion.
The recognition makes Kidjo the first musician from the African continent to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the first Black African performer to earn the honour.
For Kidjo, however, the moment represented more than a personal achievement.
Speaking during the ceremony, the singer reflected on the contribution of Africa and its musicians to global music, describing the recognition as a milestone for African artists around the world.
“We Africans don’t know what we’ve given to the world, what we continue giving to the world; without us there’s no music possible [on] this planet,” she said.
She also expressed hope that her achievement would open doors for other African musicians.
“It’s not just my star, it’s our star,” Kidjo said, adding that although she may be the first, she would not be the last.
After thanking her family, team and supporters, Kidjo celebrated the moment in typically musical fashion, breaking into song and dancing over her newly unveiled star.
Born on July 14, 1960, in Ouidah, Benin, then known as Dahomey, Kidjo grew up surrounded by music. She later moved to Paris in 1983 amid political unrest in her home country and began building the international career that would span more than four decades.
Her music has consistently drawn from West African traditions while incorporating elements of funk, jazz, R&B, gospel and Latin music. Her extensive list of collaborators includes global stars such as Burna Boy, Alicia Keys, Sting, Bono, Peter Gabriel, Yo-Yo Ma and Philip Glass.
Kidjo has won five Grammy Awards, beginning with Best Contemporary World Music Album for Djin Djin in 2008. She later won for Eve in 2015, Sings in 2016, Celia in 2020 and Mother Nature in 2022.
Her achievements also include the 2023 Polar Music Prize and recognition on TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
During the ceremony, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. described Kidjo as a “rare artist,” praising the impact of her work and her ability to connect people through music.
“Your example has elevated our global music community,” Mason Jr. said, highlighting the barriers she has broken and the people she has inspired throughout her career.
Now, with her name permanently etched onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Kidjo has added another historic milestone to a career that has consistently carried African music to audiences around the world.
