Jonas Åkerlund

Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (Swedish: [hɑːns ˈʉ̌ːnʊ ˈjûːnas ˈôːkɛˌɭɵnd]; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish film director, screenwriter, music video director, and drummer. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record of five awards at 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video of the Year.

This article is about the director. For the politician, see Jonas Åkerlund (politician).
Jonas Åkerlund
Åkerlund in 2012
Born
Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund

(1965-11-10) 10 November 1965
Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • music video director
  • drummer
Years active1983–present
SpouseBea Åkerlund

In 2008 he won another Grammy Award, this time around for "Best Long Form Music Video" for another work with Madonna – directing "The Confessions Tour" DVD. In 2014 he won this Grammy Award again (that meanwhile changed the name to "Best Music Film"), this time for "Live Kisses", a Paul McCartney concert film. Jonas Åkerlund, David Mallet and Bob Smeaton are the only directors to have won this award twice sharing the record for most wins in this category (check here all winners and nominees of Grammy Award for Best Music Film).

Career

Åkerlund was briefly a member of the Swedish black metal band Bathory from 1983 to 1984, before their career took off. He also directed Candlemass' first video "Bewitched". He first found fame as the main video director for Roxette. In 1997, he directed the acclaimed 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 Madonna for the song "Ray of Light", and has since worked with acts such as Beyoncé, Metallica, Christina Aguilera, U2, Blink-182, P!nk, Rammstein, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga. He has directed the music video for the Smashing Pumpkins' "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. In 2002, his first full-length film, Spun, debuted.

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", "American Life" (which was pulled due to its graphic content and the Iraq War), and "Jump". He also directed a documentary film I'm Going to Tell You a Secret about Madonna and her concert special The Confessions Tour: Live from London.

Some of his other work includes the controversial pornographic music video for Rammstein's "Pussy", the video for the song "Telephone" by Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, "Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, and Duran Duran's single "Girl Panic!".[1]

Åkerlund's second movie, Small Apartments (2012), went direct to DVD.[2] Per Gessle, of Roxette, was credited for the music and soundtrack.[2]

Videography

Filmography

Feature films

Spun (2002)
Horsemen (2009)
Small Apartments (2012)
Lords of Chaos (2018)
Polar (2019)
Midas Man (TBA); replaced by Sara Sugarman[35]

Concert and documentary films

Madonna: I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (2005)
Madonna: The Confessions Tour (2007) (won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video)
Paul McCartney: Live Kisses (2012) (won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Music Film)
On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z (2014)[36]
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015)
Roxette: Roxette Diaries (2016)
Rammstein: Paris (2016)

Television

Clark (2022; TV series) (directed all 6 episodes with Kirke Ailio Rodwell as 1st Assistant Director)

Awards

References
  1. Wigler, Josh. "The Man Behind Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video: Jonas Akerlund". MTV. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  2. Åkerlund, Jonas (1 March 2013), Small Apartments, retrieved 27 July 2016
  3. ""Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai | Music Video | VH1.com". Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  4. "Music – Music News, New Songs, Videos, Music Shows and Playlists from MTV". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  5. "Ozzy 'Gets Through' Video, Plans Tour With Zombie". MTV.
  6. "SATYRICON Video Posted Online". 29 October 2002.
  7. Ballad & Pop Hits - The Complete Video Collection (DVD liner notes). Roxette. EMI. 2003. 7243 4 90946 9 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. "blink-182 – I Miss You – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 3 November 2008.
  9. "Madonna – Jump – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 1 November 2008.
  10. "RAMMSTEIN: 'Mann Gegen Mann' Video Posted Online". 10 February 2006.
  11. ""Country Girl" by Primal Scream | Music Video | VH1.com". Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  12. "Maroon 5 – Wake Up Call – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012.
  13. "James Blunt – Same Mistake – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  14. "Sober | P!nk | Music Video | MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  15. "Lady Gaga – Paparazzi – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012.
  16. "Mika – We Are Golden – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014.
  17. "Madonna – Celebration – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009.
  18. "RAMMSTEIN Guitarist Discusses 'Pussy' Video". 25 September 2009.
  19. "RAMMSTEIN: 'Ich Tu Dir Weh' Video To Debut On Monday". 19 December 2009.
  20. "Lady Gaga – Telephone feat. Beyoncé – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
  21. "N.E.R.D. – Hot-N-Fun – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012.
  22. "OZZY OSBOURNE: 'Let Me Hear You Scream' Video Released". 22 June 2010.
  23. "David Guetta – Who's That Chick? (Ft. Rihanna) – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012.
  24. "Music – Music News, New Songs, Videos, Music Shows and Playlists from MTV". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  25. "Hollywood Undead – Hear Me Now – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
  26. "Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012.
  27. "Duran Duran – Girl Panic! – Music Video – MTV". MTV.
  28. "RAMMSTEIN: 'Mein Land' Video Released". 11 November 2011.
  29. "Maroon 5 – Daylight – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013.
  30. "The Rolling Stones – Doom And Gloom – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014.
  31. "Director Jonas Åkerlund on 'Haunted,' 'Superpower,' and Beyoncé's Many Virtues". 16 December 2013.
  32. "Coldplay – Magic – Music Video – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014.
  33. "Robin Thicke's new video: Plea to Paula Patton?".
  34. "Chris Martin Wears Inflatable Body Suit in Coldplay's "True Love" Video". Pitchfork. 22 August 2014.
  35. Wiseman, Andreas (18 November 2021). "Beatles Manager Movie Midas Man Hires New Director Mid-Shoot; Filmmaker Jonas Akerlund Issues Statement". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  36. "Beyoncé and Jay Z tour for TV special". Digital Spy. 8 September 2014.
  37. "Awards Watch: Paul McCartney Takes Music Film Grammy, Nick Cave Doc a Double Winner at Sundance – MusicFilmWeb".

Further reading
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