Angélique Kidjo Makes History: First Black African Artist to Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Hollywood Boulevard is about to shine a little brighter with African excellence. On August 18th, Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo will receive the 2,854th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making her the first Black African artist ever to claim this iconic honor. The ceremony takes place at 11:30am PT at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, directly across from the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where the five-time Grammy winner will be celebrated in the Recording category.

The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Born in 1960 in what was then Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin), Kidjo has spent over four decades building a musical empire that bridges continents and genres. After releasing her debut album Pretty in 1981, she relocated to Paris in 1983 to escape political turmoil under her country’s communist government, eventually settling in Brooklyn. Since then, she’s released 18 albums that masterfully blend West African musical traditions with funk, jazz, and R&B, earning five Grammy Awards and a spot on TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez captured the historic weight of the moment perfectly: “Angélique Kidjo’s extraordinary artistry and global influence have inspired audiences across generations and continents. We are proud to honour her as the first African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

Kidjo’s collaborator roster reads like a masterclass in global music networking—from Afrobeats titans Burna Boy, Davido, and Ayra Starr to international legends like Philip Glass, Sting, and Alicia Keys. Beyond music, she’s a fierce advocate for children’s rights and education across Africa, and even appeared in The Woman King, with her duet “Keep Rising” featured on the soundtrack. The ceremony will feature appearances by four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Until now, South African actress Charlize Theron (who received her star in 2005) was the only African-born artist on the Walk of Fame, making Kidjo’s induction a powerful statement about recognizing Black African excellence on the world’s most famous sidewalk.

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