Jonas Åkerlund

For more than three decades, Jonas Åkerlund has created some of the most distinctive images in film, music and popular culture. The Swedish director, writer and filmmaker has built a career defined by a visual language that is bold, visceral and deeply rooted in music, performance and character.

His long-form work ranges from the cult classic Spun and the uncompromising Lords of Chaos to Polar, starring Mads Mikkelsen, and the Netflix series Clark, starring Bill Skarsgård, which he directed, co-wrote and executive produced. His documentary work includes Metallica Saved My Life and Billy Idol Should be Dead, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.

Music has been central to Åkerlund’s work throughout his career. His decades-long collaboration with Madonna has moved from music videos to documentaries and some of her most ambitious live productions. He has also worked repeatedly with Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Metallica, Paul McCartney and Rammstein, and created films and imagery with The Rolling Stones, U2, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Iggy Pop. These collaborations come from entering an artist’s world rather than observing it from the outside.

That same approach carries into his concert films, from Rammstein: Paris and Beyoncé & Jay-Y: On the Run to Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live and Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio, bringing the intimacy of filmmaking to some of the world’s largest stages.

Alongside film and music, Åkerlund has built a major international commercial career. His work has won multiple Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards, plus Emmy recognition, Cannes Lions and induction into the MVPA Hall of Fame.

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