Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish filmmaker and musician who is best known for his work in music videos. Åkerlund was a member of the Swedish

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

band Bathory. He has directed well-known videos for artists such as Queens of the Stone Age,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

, Blink-182, Blondie, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, David Guetta, Jamiroquai, Lenny Kravitz,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

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, Metallica, Moby, Ozzy Osbourne, P!nk, the Prodigy,

the Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...

, Rammstein, Britney Spears, the Rolling Stones, U2,

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

and Ghost. Åkerlund's video for Madonna's song " Ray of Light" won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and a record five MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. In 2008, he won the Grammy Award for Best Music Film for directing Madonna's '' The Confessions Tour'' DVD, and won the award again in 2014 for his work on Paul McCartney's '' Live Kisses'' DVD. He also directed the films '' Spun'' (2002), '' Horsemen'' (2009), '' Small Apartments'' (2012), '' Lords of Chaos'' (2018), and '' Polar'' (2019).

Career

Åkerlund was a member of the Swedish

band Bathory from 1983 to 1984. He directed Candlemass' first music video "Bewitched", which was also his debut as a music video director. He then became the main video director for Roxette. In 1997, he directed the video for the Prodigy's " Smack My Bitch Up", which sparked controversy due to its depiction of drug use, violence, and nudity. In 1998, he worked with

on the song " Ray of Light". He directed the music video for the Smashing Pumpkins' song " Try, Try, Try", from which a short film entitled ''Try'' was spawned. He was also the designer and photographer for the Roxette album '' Room Service'' in 2001. His first full-length film, '' Spun'', debuted in 2002. Åkerlund directed commercials for Swedish clothing retailer MQ and the re-imagining of the Devo song " Watch Us Work It" used in Dell Computers commercials. He is a long-time collaborator of Madonna, having worked on such music videos as "

Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

", " American Life" (which was pulled due to its graphic content and the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

), and " Jump". He also directed the documentary film '' I'm Going to Tell You a Secret'' about Madonna and her concert special '' The Confessions Tour: Live from London''. Åkerlund's other work includes the controversial music video for Rammstein's " Pussy", the video for the song "

Telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

" by Lady Gaga and

, " Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5 and

, and Duran Duran's single "Girl Panic!" Åkerlund's second movie, '' Small Apartments'' (2012), went direct to DVD. Per Gessle, of Roxette, was credited for the music and soundtrack.

Videography

1988 :"Bewitched" for Candlemass 1989 :"What's the Noise?" for Walk on Water 1992 :" Shame, Shame, Shame" for Izabella Scorupco :"Så länge det lyser mittemot" for Marie Fredriksson (Female half of Roxette) :"Mellan sommar och höst" for Marie Fredriksson 1993 :" Fingertips '93" for Roxette 1994 :" Run to You" for Roxette 1995 :"A la ronde" for Sinclair :" Vulnerable" for Roxette :"Pay for Me" for

Whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...

1996 :"Rainbow" for Meja :" June Afternoon" for Roxette :" She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" for Roxette :"Un Dia Sin Ti" for Roxette (Spanish version of " Spending My Time") 1997 :" Do You Wanna Be My Baby?" for Per Gessle (Male half of Roxette) :" James Bond Theme" for Moby :" Kix" for Per Gessle :" I Want You To Know" for Per Gessle :" Smack My Bitch Up" for the Prodigy 1998 :" Ray of Light" for

::(Won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video) :" My Favourite Game" for the Cardigans :" Turn the Page" for Metallica 1999 :" Whiskey in the Jar" for Metallica :" Wish I Could Fly" for Roxette :" Canned Heat" for Jamiroquai :" Anyone" for Roxette :"Corruption" for Iggy Pop 2000 :" The Everlasting Gaze" for

" for Madonna :" Porcelain" (version 1) for Moby :" Try, Try, Try" for the Smashing Pumpkins :" Beautiful Day" (version 1: airport) for U2 :" Black Jesus" for Everlast :" Still" (version 2: white hair) for Macy Gray 2001 :" Gets Me Through" for Ozzy Osbourne :" Walk On" for U2 :" The Centre of the Heart" for Roxette :"Circus" for Stina Nordenstam 2002 :" A Thing About You" for Roxette :"Lonely Road" for

:"Fuel for Hatred" for Satyricon :" Me Julie" for Ali G and Shaggy :" If I Could Fall in Love" for Lenny Kravitz :" Beautiful" for

2003 :" Opportunity Nox" for Roxette (co-directed with Kristoffer Diös) :" American Life" for Madonna :" Good Boys" for Blondie :"Aim 4" for Flint :"True Nature" for

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...

:" Come Undone" for

:" Sexed Up" for

:" Carnival Girl" for

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

2004 :" I Miss You" for blink-182 :"Tits on the Radio" for Scissor Sisters (internet video only) 2005 :" Rain Fall Down" for the Rolling Stones 2006 :" Jump" for Madonna :" One Wish" for Roxette :" Mann gegen Mann" for Rammstein :" Country Girl" for Primal Scream 2007 :" Wake Up Call" for Maroon 5 :" Good God" for Anouk :" Same Mistake" for James Blunt :" Watch Us Work It" for Devo 2008 :"No. 5" for Hollywood Undead :" Undead" for Hollywood Undead :" Sober" for Pink 2009 :" Paparazzi" for Lady Gaga :" When Love Takes Over" for David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland :" We Are Golden" for Mika :" Celebration" for Madonna :" Pussy" for Rammstein :" Fresh Out the Oven" for

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

and Pitbull :" Ich tu dir weh" for Rammstein ::(Won the 2011 Echo for best video national) 2010 :"

" for Lady Gaga feat.

:" Hot-n-Fun" for N.E.R.D feat. Nelly Furtado :"Let Me Hear You Scream" for Ozzy Osbourne :" Who's That Chick?" for David Guetta feat.

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(Day Version) :"Who's That Chick?" for David Guetta feat. Rihanna (Night Version) :" One (Your Name)" for Swedish House Mafia feat. Pharrell 2011 :" Hold It Against Me" for Britney Spears :" Hear Me Now" for Hollywood Undead :" Moves like Jagger" for Maroon 5 feat.

:"Girl Panic!" for Duran Duran :" Mein Land" for Rammstein 2012 :"

Daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunlig ...

" for Maroon 5 :" Doom and Gloom" for the Rolling Stones 2013 :" Haunted" for

:" Superpower" for Beyoncé feat.

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2014 :" Magic" for Coldplay :" Get Her Back" for Robin Thicke :" True Love" for Coldplay :" Dangerous" for David Guetta 2015 :" Ghosttown" for Madonna :" Bitch I'm Madonna" for Madonna feat.

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:"RM486" for Rose McGowan feat. Punishment :"Could Have Been Me" for the Struts 2016 :"New Romantics (song), New Romantics" for Taylor Swift :"Hold Up (song), Hold Up" for

:"Óveður" for Sigur Rós :"Make America Great Again" for Pussy Riot :"ManUNkind" for Metallica 2017 :"John Wayne (song), John Wayne" for Lady Gaga :"Praying (song), Praying" for Kesha :"The Way You Used to Do" for Queens of the Stone Age :"A Little Work" for Fergie (singer), Fergie :"You're the Best Thing About Me" for U2 2018 :"Here Comes the Change" for Kesha 2019 :"God Control" for Madonna :"Under the Graveyard" for Ozzy Osbourne

Filmography

Feature films :'' Spun'' (2003) :'' Horsemen'' (2009) :'' Small Apartments'' (2012) :'' Lords of Chaos'' (2018) :'' Polar'' (2019) Concert and documentary films :

: '' I'm Going to Tell You a Secret'' (2005) :Madonna: ''The Confessions Tour (album), The Confessions Tour'' (2007) (won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Music Film, Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video) :

: ''iTunes Live from Capitol Studios, Live Kisses'' (2012) (won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Music Film) :''On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z (TV program), On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z'' (2014) :Taylor Swift: ''The 1989 World Tour#Concert film, The 1989 World Tour Live'' (2015) : Roxette: ''Roxette Diaries'' (2016) : Rammstein: ''Rammstein: Paris, Paris'' (2017) :Metallica Saved My Life (2025) Television :''Clark (TV series), Clark'' (2022; TV series) (directed all 6 episodes with Kirke Ailio Rodwell as 1st Assistant Director)

Awards

*56th Annual Grammy Awards, 2014 – Grammy – Grammy Award for Best Music Film, Best Music Film:

's ''"Live Kisses"'' *2011 – Echo Awards – Best National Video: Rammstein ''" Ich tu dir weh"'' *2010 – MVPA Awards – Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga feat

''"

"'' *2009 – MVPA Awards – Lady Gaga ''"Paparazzi (Lady Gaga), Paparazzi"'' *2008 – MVPA Awards – James Blunt ''" Same Mistake"'' *50th Annual Grammy Awards, 2008 – Grammy – Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Best Long Form Music Video:

NBC Special ''" The Confessions Tour"'' *2008 – ADDY Awards, Silver Addy – Dell ''"Work it Out"'' *2007 – MVPA Hall of Fame – The Prodigy, Prodigy ''" Smack My Bitch Up"'' *2004 – MVPA Awards –

''" Come Undone"'' *41st Annual Grammy Awards, 1999 – Grammy – Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video, Best Short Form Music Video:

''"Ray of Light"'' *1998 MTV Video Music Awards, 1998 – MTV Video Music Award –

''" Ray of Light"'' (five awards: Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Choreography - Jonas Åkerlund was also the editor and he and Madonna were the choreographers for this video) *1998 MTV Video Music Awards, 1998 – MTV Video Music Award – Best Dance Video: The Prodigy ''" Smack My Bitch Up"''

References

External links