July 7, 2025
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Kidjo as one of the 2026 Walk of Fame Honorees.
West African singer Angélique Kidjo made history as the first Black African artist to be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Grammy-winning artist from Benin is one of 35 inductees chosen by a committee of industry insiders.
“Thanks to all my fans who brought me here,” Kidjo wrote on Instagram.
Kidjo was born in 1960 in the country then known as Dahomey (now Benin), where she studied music, drama, and dance. She released her debut album, Pretty, in 1981. Two years later, she moved to Paris to escape the civil unrest caused by the country’s then-communist government.
“From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin, I became aware that the freedom we enjoy can be snatched away in a second,” she told the BBC.
Kidjo moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she released a trilogy of albums: Oremi, Black Ivory Soul, and Oyaya!, which drew inspiration from the music of the Caribbean diaspora and South America. In 2021, the singer was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. She received the Polar Music Prize in 2023, often referred to as the music equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.
The singer also appeared in The Woman King, the story of the real-life female Agojie warriors of the 19th century, starring Viola Davis. “Keep Rising,” Kidjo’s duet with Jessy Wilson, appeared on the movie’s soundtrack.
The singer-songwriter joins 35 artists in the 2026 class of Walk of Fame inductees, which includes Shaquille O’Neal, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, The Clark Sisters, and ABC News anchor Robin Roberts.
After the committee selects recipients for a star, they have two years to schedule their induction ceremonies. Kidjo’s team has yet to announce when the singer will unveil her star on the Walk of Fame.
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