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Angélique Kidjo Makes Hollywood Walk of Fame History
Angélique Kidjo has made Hollywood Walk of Fame history. Explore the Beninese icon’s age, full name, family, Grammys, songs and legacy.
August 19, 2026 at 3:27:21 PM
August 19, 2026 at 3:27:49 PM
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Angélique Kidjo has received the 2,854th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first African musician and first Black African recipient, according to the organisers.
The five-time Grammy winner was honoured in the Recording category during a ceremony at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The event began at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) and was streamed by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Actor Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr. spoke at the ceremony, which was hosted by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson. Beninese-born actor Djimon Hounsou and Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold were also among those attending.
The recognition celebrates a four-decade career that has carried Beninese music, African languages and the sounds of the wider Black diaspora into concert halls, festivals and recording studios around the world. It also arrives as a new generation of African artists is reaching unprecedented international audiences.
For Kidjo, the honour was bigger than one career. In comments reported by OkayAfrica, she described it simply: “It’s not just my star, it’s our star.”
Confirmed: Kidjo received star number 2,854 on August 18, 2026, in the Recording category. The official Walk of Fame page calls her the first African artist to receive a star, while the original organiser announcement used the more precise descriptions “first African musician” and “first Black African.” Important distinction: She is not the first person born in Africa to have a Walk of Fame star. South African-born actor Charlize Theron, for example, received one in 2005. Kidjo’s milestone concerns an African music artist and, according to the organisers, a Black African honouree.
Angélique Kidjo quick facts
What record did Angélique Kidjo set?
The safest headline description is that Angélique Kidjo became the first African musician and the first Black African to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
The Walk of Fame’s original press-release headline used those two descriptions. Its updated honouree page quotes producer Ana Martinez calling Kidjo the “first African artist” to receive a star. Other reports have shortened that wording in different ways, creating potential confusion.
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