Later this year, Beninese-French icon and five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo will officially receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, officially becoming a member of the Class of 2026 in the “Recordings” category. For the first time, an African artist will be honored in this renowned public setting.
More than just a personal honor, her upcoming Walk of Fame star status will serve as a significant milestone for upcoming generations of African artists.
After considering hundreds of nominations, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce held a press conference in Los Angeles on July 2, 2025, to announce Kidjo’s selection. Board ratification is scheduled for June 25. She will stand next to well-known celebrities from around the world, including Shaquille O’Neal, Josh Groban, Timothée Chalamet, Deepika Padukone, Miley Cyrus, and The Clark Sisters.
Kidjo is a trailblazer who has crossed borders and genres, in addition to being a dynamic performer. She has achieved recognition in many languages and cultures over the course of her incredible 40-year career by fusing West African, jazz, funk, gospel, and Afrobeat traditions into a sound that is universally relatable. She received the coveted Polar Music Prize in 2023 and has won five Grammy awards.
Her induction is a potent representational symbol that reaffirms African artistry’s legitimate position at the highest level of international cultural acclaim.
Kidjo, who was born in Ouidah, Benin, in 1960, started performing at the age of six, fusing her Yoruba and Fon ancestry with influences from around the world. Her skill and vision are demonstrated by albums such as Logozo (1991), Eve (2014), Mother Nature (2021), and her most recent Fifa, which has been hailed for its “remarkably coherent” fusion of rhythms and styles.
Kidjo’s influence extends beyond his humanitarian work and music. As the founder of the Batonga Foundation and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she promotes gender equality and girls’ education throughout Africa.
Honorees usually have up to two years to plan their ceremony, though the official date of the star-unveiling ceremony has not yet been set. When Kidjo’s star is put in place, it will serve as a reminder of both her personal legacy and the wider rise of African talent on the international scene.
Angélique Kidjo, 64, is still as energetic and forward-thinking as ever. More than just a personal honor, her upcoming Walk of Fame star status will serve as a significant milestone for upcoming generations of African artists.
