BIO

Jonas Åkerlund is a renowned Swedish director known for his visually stunning music videos, powerful documentaries, and gripping films.

Jonas Åkerlund’s music videos are renowned for their edgy and intense style, often incorporating complex visual effects and dark themes. His exceptional work on Madonna’s “Ray of Light” music video won him a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1999, and his contributions have earned him a total of three Grammy Awards in the same category. Åkerlund has also directed numerous other notable music videos, such as Beyoncé’s “Hold Up,” Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” The Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up,” Metallica’s “ManUNkind,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “Under the Graveyard,” Kesha’s “Here Comes the Change,” U2’s “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” and Taylor Swift’s “New Romantics,” which continue to push the boundaries of music video creativity.

In addition to his music video credits, Åkerlund has directed several documentaries, including the critically acclaimed “Rammstein: Paris” (2017), which captures the German industrial metal band on their 2012-2013 tour, showcasing their epic live performances with Åkerlund’s trademark visual flair.

Åkerlund’s filmography is diverse, ranging from the bone-chilling horror-thriller “Lords of Chaos,” based on the Norwegian Black Metal scene, to the dark comedy “Small Apartments,” and the action-packed movie “Polar.” He also wrote and directed the gripping Netflix series “CLARK.”

Furthermore, Åkerlund has directed two iconic concert films, Paul McCartney’s “Live Kisses” and Madonna’s “The Confessions Tour Live from London,” which capture the magic of their live performances and create an immersive experience for viewers.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Alex Kogan “Beautiful She Is”, Ali G featuring Shaggy “Me Julie”, Annelie Ryde’ “Åh en sån karl”, Anouk “Good God”, Beyonce “Haunted”, Beyonce “Hold Up”, Beyonce “Poem “, Beyonce “Superpower”, Blink 182 “Miss You”, Blondie “Goold boys”, Britney Spears – “Hold it against me”, Candella pops “Videon”, Candlemass “Bewitched”, Cardigans My favourite game, Christina Aguilera “Beauitful”, Coldplay “Magic”, Coldplay “True Love”, Conny Bloom “Star”, David Guetta “Dangerous” , David Guetta ft. Rihanna “Who’s that chick? NIGHT, David Guetta ft. Rihanna “Who´s that chick?” DAY, David Guetta/Kelly Rowland “When Love Takes Over”, Duran Duran – “Girl Panic”, Duran Duran – “Black moonlight”, Everlast “Black Jesus”, Fergle “A Little Work”, Gessle “Ballad med djur”, Gessle “Do you wanna be my baby”, Gessle “Kix”, Hollywood Undead – “Hear me now”, Hollywood Undead “No5”, Hollywood Undead “Undead”, Iggy Pop “Corruption”, Isabella Scorupco “Shame”, James Blunt “Same Mistake”, Jamiroquai “Canned Heat”, Janes Addiction “True Addiction”, Kajsa “Angel Eye”, Keith Flint “Aim 4”, Kesha “Here comes the change”, Kesha “Praying”, Kid Rock “Amen”, Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”, Lady Gaga “Speechless”, Lady Gaga “John Wayne”, Lady Gaga feat Beyonce “Telephone”, Lena Philipson, Lenny Kravitz “If I could falI in love”, Lola (Jennifer Lopez) “Fresh out the Oven”, Macy Gray “Still”, Madonna ” American life flag version”, Madonna “American life”, Madonna “Celebration”, Madonna “Jump”, Madonna “Music”, Madonna “Ray of Light”, Madonna “Bitch I’m Madonna”, Madonna “Ghost town”, Madonna “God Control”, Marie Fredriksson “Musik video 2”, Marie Fredriksson “Musik video 1”, Marion Cottilard/FranzFerdinand “Eyes Of Mars”,  Maroon 5 “Daylight”, Maroon 5 “The Man Who Never Lied”, Maroon 5 “Feelings”, Maroon 5 / Christina Aguilera “Moves like Jagger”,  Maroon 5 “Wake up Call”, Meja “Rainbow”, Metallica “Whiskey In the Jar”, Metallica “ManUnkind”, Metallica “Turn the page”, Mika “We are Golden”,  Moby “Porcelain”, Moby “James Bond Theme”, N.E.R.D  ” Hot ‘n’ Fun”, Ozzy Osborn “Under the grave yard”, Ozzy Osbourne “Gets me through”, Ozzy Osbourne “Let me hear you scream”, Paola “Above the candy store”, Paul McCartney “Lonely road”, Pink “Sober”, Pops Pop Video, Primal Scream “Country Girl”, Prodigy “Smack my bitch up”, Pussy Riot “Make America Great Again”, Queens of The Stone Age “Like You Used To Do”, Rammstein – “Mein Land”, Rammstein “ITDW”, Rammstein “Mann gegen Mann”, Rammstein “Pussy”, Rammstein “Zern vita”, Rihanna Doritos “Who’s that chick”,  Robbie “Sexed up”,  Robbie Williams “Come undone”, Robin Thicke “Get Her Back”, Rolling Stones “Rain fall down feat Will.I.Am”, Rolling Stones “Rain fall down”, Rose McGowan “Time to die”, Roxette “Anyone”, Roxette “Fingertips”, Roxette “One Wish”, Roxette “The Centre of the heart”, Roxette “Thing about you”, Roxette “Wish I could fly”, Roxette “June afternoon”, Roxette “Run to you”, Roxette “She doesn´t live here anymore”, Roxette “Un dia sin ti”, Roxette “Vulnerable”, Satyricon “Fuel for hatred”, Sigur Ros “Overdur”, Sinclaire ”Ala Ronde”, Smashing Pumpkins “Evertasting gaze”, Smashing Punpklngs “Try, Try, Try”, Stina Nordenstam “Circus”, Svante Thuresson “Allt börjar nu”, Taylor Swift, Texas “Carnival girl”, The Rolling Stones  “Doom And Gloom”, The Struts “Could Have Been Me”, U2 “Beautiful day”, U2 “Walk on”, U2 “Get Out Of Your Own Way”, U2 “Your the Best Thing About Me”, Usher/Lil jon/Ludacris “ Sex beat”,  Whale “Pay for me”, Wilmer X “Clubland”

AWARDS

2018 Molins Film Festival

Nominated, Jury Prize
Best Director for Lords of Chaos (2018)
Won, Jury Prize
Best Film for Lords of Chaos (2018)
Nominated, Jury Prize
Best Screenplay for Lords of Chaos (2018)

2018 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival

Nominated, Best Film
Secció Oficial Fantàstic for Lords of Chaos (2018)

2018 Splat! FilmFest

Won, Audience Award
Most Shocking Film for Lords of Chaos (2018)
Won, Audience Award
Best Director for Lords of Chaos(2018)

2015 Black Reel Awards

Nominated, Black Reel
Outstanding Television Documentary or Special for
On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay Z (2014)

2015 Grammy Awards

Nominated, Grammy
Best Music Film for On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay Z (2014)

2014 Camerimage

Nominated, Best Music Video
Won, Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Music Videos

2014 Grammy Awards

Won, Grammy
Best Music Film for Paul McCartney’s Live Kisses (2012)

2012 SXSW Film Festival

Nominated, Audience Award
Narrative Spotlight for Small Apartments (2012)

2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA)

Nominated, VMA
Best Direction for Lady Gaga: Paparazzi (2009)
Nominated, VMA
Best Editing for Lady Gaga: Paparazzi (2009)

2008 Grammy Awards

Won, Grammy
Best Long Form Music Video for Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live from London (2006)

2007 Grammy Awards

Nominated, Grammy
Best Long Form Music Video for I’m Going to Tell You a Secret (2005)

2002 WorldFest Houston

Won, Platinum Award
Short Subject Film & Video Awards 2002 for Try (2000)

1999 Grammy Awards

Won, Grammy
Best Short Form Music Video for Madonna: Ray of Light (1998)

1998 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA)

Won,VMA
Best Editing in a Video for Madonna: Ray of Light (1998)
Won, VMA
Best Choreography in a Video for Madonna: Ray of Light (1998)
Nominated, VMA
Best Direction in a Video for The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up (1997)
Won, VMA
Best Direction in a Video for Madonna: Ray of Light (1998)
Nominated, VMA
Best Editing in a Video for The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up (1997)

PRODUCTIONS

2024

DUELS
Dance special
Director
Producer: Håkon Øverås

2023

UNDER NÅGON NY: VERONICA MAGGIO/MIRIAM BRYANT
TV special
Director, Writer
Producer: Steffi Van Den Branden / Sverre Gundhus

2022

CLARK
TV series
Director, Co-Writer and Executive producer      
Producer: Scandinavian Content Group

2019

POLAR
Feature film
Director
Producer: Jeremy Bolt / Impact Picture/ Constantin Film

MADONNA: GOD CONTROL
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Violaine Etienne

2018

LORDS OF CHAOS
Feature film
Director, Writer
Producer: Ko Mori / Scott Free Films / Protagonist Pictures / Vice Films

2017

RAMMSTEIN: PARIS
Music documentary
Director, Head editor
Producer: Svana Gisla

2016

ROXETT DIARIES
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Eva Tempelman

2015

TAYLOR SWIFT: THE 1989 WORLD TOUR LIVE
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Violaine Etienne / Scott Horan

2014

ON THE RUN TOUR: BEYONCE AND JAY Z
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Ed Burke / Svana Gisla / Dan Parise

2012

PAUL MCCARTNEY’S LIVE KISSES
Music documentary
Director, Editor
Producer: Violaine Etienne / Aron Levine / Paul McKee / Scott Rodger

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
Short film
Director
Producer: RSA Films / Octone Records

SMALL APARTMENTS
Feature film
Director, Editor
Producer: David Hillary / Timothy Wayne Peternel / Ash R. Shah /Bonnie Timmerman

2009

HORSEMEN
Feature film
Director
Producer: Michael Bay / Andrew Form / Brad Fuller

PLACE
Dance film
Director
Producer: Eva Tempelman

2006

MADONNA: THE CONFESSIONS TOUR LIVE FROM LONDON
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Sara Martin

2005

I’M GOING TO TELL YOU A SECRET
Music documentary
Director
Producer: Susan Applegate / Angela Becker / Shelli Jury / Greg Panteix / Felipe Pimento

2004

GOOD BOYS
Short film
Director, Writer, Editor
Producer: Nicola Doring

2002

SPUN
Feature film
Director
Producer: Chris Hanley / Timothy Wayne Peternel / Fernando Sulichin /Danny Vinik

THE EYE
Short film
Director
Producer: Lars Petterson

2001

BEHIND ENEMY LINES
TV movie
Director, Writer
Producer: Lena Gustafson, Martina Stöhr

2000

TRY
Short film
Director, Writer, Editor
Producer: Lars Petterson

1999

TURN THE PAGE
Short film
Director
Producer: Nicola Doring

ART PROJECTS

Daydreaming with James Lavelle, UNKLE 2012.

Moca 30th anniversary. Collaborated with Francesco Vezzoli

Place featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ana Laguna, Swedish Royal Dramatic Theatre 2009 A Jonas Akerlund Experience, Dance Museum Stockholm 2005/06

3’Frankfurt Schrin 2004

Media City Seoul 2000

Super Cirkör, live circus extravaganza Super Cirkör 1998

Kfurt Schrin 2004

Media City Seoul 2000

Super Cirkör, live circus extravaganza Super Cirkör 1998