Quick Facts
Biography
Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (Swedish pronunciation: [hɑːns ʉ̟ːnʊ juːnas oːkɛɭɵnd], born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish director and drummer. He is best known for directing music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record seven awards at 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video of the Year.
Career
Åkerlund was a member of the Swedish black metal band Bathory from 1983 to 1984. 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 Metallica, Christina Aguilera, U2, Blink-182, P!nk, Rammstein, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga. He 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 her documentary film I'm Going to Tell You a Secret and her concert special The Confessions Tour: Live from London. Among his more recent works were 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!".
Åkerlund's second movie, Small Apartments, went direct to DVD. Per Gessle, of Roxette, was credited for the music and soundtrack.
Videography
Filmography
- Try (2000)
- Spun (2002)
- Madonna: I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (2005)
- Madonna: Confessions Tour – Live from London (2006)
- Madonna: The Confessions Tour (2007)
- Horsemen (2009)
- Small Apartments (2012)
- Paul McCartney's Live Kisses (2012)
- On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z (2014)
- Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015)
- Roxette Diaries (2016)
- Rammstein: Paris (2016)
- Lords of Chaos (2017)
Books
- Henry Keazor, Thorsten Wübbena: Video Thrills The Radio Star. Musikvideos: Geschichte, Themen, Analysen. Bielefeld, Germany, 2005, p. 117ss., p. 146ss., p. 448
Awards
- 2014 – Grammy – Best Music Film: Paul McCartney's "Live Kisses"
- 2011 – Echo Awards – Best National Video: Rammstein "Ich tu dir weh"
- 2010 – MVPA Awards – Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga feat Beyoncé "Telephone"
- 2009 – MVPA Awards – Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"
- 2008 – MVPA Awards – James Blunt "Same Mistake"
- 2008 – Grammy – Best Long Form Music Video: Madonna NBC Special "The Confessions Tour"
- 2008 – Silver Addy – Dell "Work it Out"
- 2007 – MVPA Hall of Fame – Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up"
- 2004 – MVPA Awards – Robbie Williams "Come Undone"
- 1999 – Grammy – Best Short Form Music Video: Madonna "Ray of Light"
- 1998 – MTV Video Music Award – Madonna "Ray of Light" (five awards including Video of the Year and Best Female Video)
- 1998 – MTV Video Music Award – Best Dance Video: The Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up"