African music continues to assert its global influence, and five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo has just taken that representation to new heights.
The Beninese icon is set to become the first Black African artist to receive a star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Kidjo will unveil the 2,854th star in the Recording category on August 18, 2026, at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard. The outdoor ceremony will be on a global live stream. It will feature special guest remarks from Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. 
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Angélique Kidjo Before the Hollywood Walk of Fame Recognition
Born in Ouidah, Benin, in 1960, the “Wombo Lombo” singer was raised in a creative household. She was born to a choreographer mother who ran a prominent theater company and an amateur musician father. She began performing at age six in her mother’s theater company. By age nine, she was already fronting her older brothers’ R&B and rock group in local clubs.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Kidjo has seamlessly blended West African storytelling with funk, R&B, jazz, and traditional global genres. After moving to Paris in the early 1980s, she built an international reputation defined by her powerful vocals, social advocacy, and cross-cultural, cross-generational collaborations with artists ranging from Burna Boy, Alicia Keys, Davido, and Ayra Starr to classical composer Philip Glass.
Beyond her musical achievements, Kidjo has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002 and an Oxfam ambassador. She has been using her platform to advocate for children’s rights, girls’ education, climate resilience, and poverty alleviation across Africa.
With nearly 20 albums to her name, Kidjo has earned her title as “Africa’s Premier Diva.”
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Her team announced the historic milestone on X (formerly Twitter) with an enthusiastic invitation:
“WHO IS COMING??? On August 18th, Angelique Kidjo will be the FIRST BLACK AFRICAN ARTIST honored with a STAR on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME at 11:30 am PT at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, across the street from the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel!”
While South African-born actress Charlize Theron previously represented the continent on the Walk of Fame, Kidjo’s star marks the first for a Black African performer and the first for an African musician—a well-deserved recognition of African artistry on entertainment’s most visible stage.
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