Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo has made history as the first black African performer to be selected for a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The five-time Grammy winner was named among the 35 honourees in the 2026 Walk of Fame class, alongside global stars like Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore, and Shaquille O’Neal. During the announcement on Wednesday, Kidjo was celebrated as Africa’s “premier diva,” recognising her four-decade-long contribution to music and global arts.
The 64-year-old, known for her dynamic voice and fusion of West African rhythms with jazz, funk, and R&B, has released 16 albums and collaborated with international artists including Burna Boy, Sting, Alicia Keys, Davido, Stonebwoy and Philip Glass.
Kidjo’s honour puts her alongside South African actress Charlize Theron—who received her star in 2005—as the only two African-born recipients on the more than 2,700-star Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.The date of Kidjo’s star unveiling is yet to be announced.
Kidjo fled communist Benin in 1983 for Paris, where she began her career as a backing vocalist before launching her solo debut with the album Parakou in 1990.
Recounting her childhood under political oppression, she told the BBC in 2023, “From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin, I became aware that the freedom we enjoy can be snatched away in a second.”
Now a UNICEF and Oxfam goodwill ambassador, and founder of the Batonga Foundation supporting girls’ education in Africa, Kidjo continues to use her platform for global advocacy and cultural pride.
