Beninese global music icon and five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo has been named among the 2026 class of Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees, becoming the first African artist ever to receive the prestigious star.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce made the announcement this week, listing Kidjo alongside other international entertainment luminaries such as Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Kidjo has established herself as one of Africa’s most celebrated and influential musicians. Her powerful voice, electrifying performances, and genre-defying sound—blending Afrobeat, traditional West African music, funk, jazz, and Latin rhythms—have earned her critical acclaim and a global fan base.
Her acclaimed discography includes standout albums such as Logozo (1991), Black Ivory Soul (2002), Eve (2014), Celia (2019), and the Grammy-winning Mother Nature (2021). Through these projects, Kidjo has not only earned international accolades but also introduced African music and culture to mainstream audiences around the world.
In recent years, she has actively collaborated with a new generation of African artists. Mother Nature featured Burna Boy and Yemi Alade, while her more recent collaborations include Davido, Mr Eazi, and a 2023 hit single “Na Money” with Davido. In 2024, she followed up with “Joy,” a vibrant anthem celebrating pan-African unity and resilience.
Outside the studio, Kidjo is a passionate advocate for social change. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and founder of the Batonga Foundation, she champions the education and empowerment of adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Her humanitarian efforts reflect a lifelong commitment to using her platform to uplift underserved communities across the continent.
Angélique Kidjo’s Hollywood Walk of Fame honor marks a historic milestone—not just for her, but for Africa’s presence on the global cultural stage.
