9 Oscar-Winning Directors and Their Surprising Music Video Projects

Music videos have been around since the 1960s. However, the art form officially “arrived” in 1981 with the launch of MTV. Since then, aspiring and established directors have used music videos to express their artistic creativity.

At first, music videos weren’t taken seriously; they were dismissed as little more than promotional material for albums or singles. Academy Award-winning directors such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron recognized the value of the music-video art form, however, and have helmed music videos. Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow even appeared in a music video early in her career.

These are among the nine Oscar winners on a list compiled by Geek Nexus. It is worth noting that at least five other Oscar-nominated directors have helmed music videos. 

“Cannibal” by Marcus Mumford, Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is among Hollywood’s greatest directors, with films such as Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan, and the Indiana Jones film series. 

The three-time Oscar winner was late to the music-video genre. He directed the official music video for Marcus Mumford’s “Cannibal.” The song is featured on the Mumford & Sons frontman’s self-titled album, released in September 2022.

“I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” by The White Stripes, Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola directed and wrote Lost In Translation in 2003 and won a Best Writing Academy Award in 2004. That same year, she directed the White Stripes’ cover of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,” a single off their album Elephant.

Coppola had directed other music videos, including “This Here Giraffe” by The Flaming Lips, “Playground Love” by Air, and “Chloroform” by Phoenix.

“Bad” by Michael Jackson, Martin Scorsese

“Bad” is an iconic music video featuring Michael Jackson that helped define the genre in the 1980s. Jackson asked Martin Scorsese to direct the video, which The Raging Bull director created in 18 minutes. It took six weeks to shoot. The West Side Story-themed video stars Jackson and actor Wesley Snipes.

Scorsese worked on celebrated documentaries about era-defining music artists such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Band, and George Harrison. He won one best directing Oscar statue (The Departed) and has been nominated for an Academy Award 16 times.

“Weapon of Choice” by Fatboy Slim, Spike Jonze

Oscar winner Spike Jonze directed Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice.” It is one of the most famous music videos of all time, highlighted by quirky actor Christopher Walken dancing through the lobby of an empty hotel in Los Angeles. Walken’s musical theater training lifted the video, which won six MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Choreography.

Among other videos he’s directed are “100%” by Sonic Youth, “Buddy Holly” by Weezer, and “Only One” by Kanye West. Jonze won a Best Writing Oscar for the movie Her, which he directed and received a Best Director nomination.

“Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, Spike Lee

Spike Lee has shaken up the motion picture industry with films like Malcolm X and Jungle Fever. The music video genre is no different. The Oscar winner (best-adapted screenplay for BlacKkKlansman) directed the video “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy to accompany his provocative 1989 film, Do The Right Thing. They took over the streets of a Brooklyn neighborhood to celebrate empowerment.

Lee also directed the video “Headlights” for rapper Eminem. The rapper wrote the song as an apology to his mother to help heal a fractured relationship. It debuted on Mother’s Day 2014.

“Touched by the Hand of God” by New Order, Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow made history in 2010 by becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Hurt Locker. Before that history-making moment, British synthpop group New Order asked her to direct their music video for the song “Touched by the Hand of God” in 1987. The video is a send-up of rock ‘n’ roll tropes such as heavy metal and glam.

Bigelow would appear in a music video directed by James Cameron the following year.

“Around the World” by Daft Punk, Michel Gondry

France native Michel Gondry has tallied 135 directing credits, including Be Kind Rewind, The Science of Sleep, and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, winning the Best Writing Oscar for the latter film.

He’s also prolific in the music video space, with 27 credits to his name. Gondry has collaborated with performers like the Rolling Stones, Björk, Foo Fighters, and Daft Punk. The latter act is a French duo whose video “Around the World” is considered Gondry’s most famous video. Among his other videos are “Cellphone’s Dead” by Beck, “Heard’ Em Say” by Kanye West, and “Go” by The Chemical Brothers.

“Born Too Slow” by the Crystal Method, Gore Verbinski

Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood stock soared with the roaring success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. His film Rango won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2012.

The former punk-rock guitarist also has made his mark in the music-video realm, directing the videos “S&M Airlines” by NOFX and “21st Century Digital Boy” by Bad Religion. His 2003 music video “Born Too Slow” by The Crystal Method depicted a silver man walking the streets of a contemporary American city.

“Reach” by Martini Ranch, James Cameron

Three-time Academy Award winner James Cameron has directed some of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history, including Titanic, Avatar, True Lies, and the Terminator films. 

Cameron dipped his toe into music videos in 1988 when he directed a music video for actor Bill Paxton’s band, Martini Ranch. The video is about an outlaw biker who comes to a western town to see his girlfriend. On his tail is an all-female posse of bounty hunters led by future Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow.