Alicia Keys
Acting • Born 1981-01-25
Biography
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter. A classically-trained pianist, Keys was composing songs by age 12. She was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records, and then, after disputes with the label, by Arista Records. Her debut album, Songs in A Minor, was released with J Records in 2001. Praised for Keys' musical talents and creative control, Songs in A Minor was critically and commercially successful, producing her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'" and selling over 12 million copies worldwide. Songs in A Minor earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, spawning successful singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You" and "Diary", and selling eight million copies worldwide. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards. Her duet song "My Boo" with Usher became her second number-one single in 2004. Keys released her first live album, Unplugged (2005), and became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album debut at number one. Her third album, As I Am (2007), produced the Hot 100 number-one single "No One", selling 5 million copies worldwide and earning an additional three Grammy Awards. In 2007, Keys made her film debut in the action-thriller film Smokin' Aces. Her fourth album,The Element of Freedom (2009), became her first chart-topping album in the UK, and sold 4 million copies worldwide. In 2009, Keys also collaborated with Jay Z on "Empire State of Mind", which became her fourth number-one single, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010. Girl on Fire (2012) was her fifth Billboard 200 topping album, spawning the successful title track, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. In 2013, VH1 Storytellers was released as her second live album. Her sixth studio album, Here (2016), became her seventh US R&B/Hip-Hop chart topping album. Keys has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including 15 competitive Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. She has sold over 35 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Considered a musical icon, Keys was named by Billboard the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade and placed number 10 on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. VH1 also included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time have named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also known for her humanitarian work, philanthropy and activism, and has received accolades for such work. Keys co-founded and is the Global Ambassador of the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive.
Filmography
132 credits
Smokin' Aces
Movie • 2006
Georgia Sykes
The Nanny Diaries
Movie • 2007
Lynette
The Secret Life of Bees
Movie • 2008
June Boatwright
Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve
Movie • 2020
Self
Live 8
Movie • 2005
Self
Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020
Movie • 2020
Self - Musical Guest
Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2021
Self
Alicia Keys: Unplugged
Movie • 2005
Self
Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Alicia Keys - Landmarks Live in Concert
Movie • 2017
Self
Uncharted
Movie • 2023
Self
DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
Kanye West: DONDA Experience Performance 2 22 22
Movie • 2022
Self
Alicia Keys - Live in New York
Movie • 2009
Self
Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Movie • 2010
Self (uncredited) (archive footage)
12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief
Movie • 2012
Self
Alicia Keys: iTunes Festival
Movie • 2012
Self
Genius. A Night for Ray Charles
Movie • 2004
Self
Alicia Keys - VH1 Storytellers
Movie • 2013
Self
Alicia Keys - Citi Concert Series Today Show
Movie • 2021
Self
Alicia Keys: Rock In Rio
Movie • 2013
Self - Singer
Platinum Party at the Palace
Movie • 2022
Self
Nas: Time Is Illmatic
Movie • 2014
Self
John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly
Movie • 2014
Self
Alicia Keys – The Element Of Freedom: Deluxe Edition
Movie • 2009
Self
The Best of Max
Movie • 2002
Self
A MusiCares Tribute to Carole King
Movie • 2015
Self
Apple Music Live: Alicia Keys
Movie • 2022
Cantora
Alicia Keys - Live at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2023
Movie • 2023
Self
Alicia Keys - MTV Crashes Manchester
Movie • 2012
Self
Alicia Keys Taratata 2012
Movie • 2012
Self
Jem and the Holograms
Movie • 2015
Alicia Keys
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Movie • 2015
Self
Alicia Keys live North Sea Jazz
Movie • 2004
Self
They All Came Out to Montreux
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Post Malone: Runaway
Movie • 2022
Self
The Blackout - Fat Joe Vs Jay-Z At The Rucker
Movie • 2003
Self
Prince and His Songs at the BBC
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
Alicia Keys at the BBC
Movie • 2023
Singer
Alicia Keys: Rock in Rio 2017
Movie • 2017
Self
Let Me In
Movie • 2016
Zara
Elmo's Christmas Countdown
Movie • 2007
Self
Q: The Man
Movie • 2009
Self
Girl Rising
Movie • 2013
Narrator - Cambodia (voice)
The Gospel
Movie • 2016
Self
Alicia Keys: Baloise Session 2017
Movie • 2017
Self - Performing Artist
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Movie • 2017
Self
Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul
Movie • 2019
Self
Alicia Keys: From Start to Stardom
Movie • 2003
Self
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Movie • 2014
Self
A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant
Movie • 2020
FOX Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America
Movie • 2020
Self
One World: Together at Home
Movie • 2020
Self
America | A Tribute to Heroes
Movie • 2001
Self - Performer
Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince
Movie • 2020
Self
Dear Class of 2020
Movie • 2020
Self
Alicia Keys - As I Am
Movie • 2008
Self
Alicia Keys - Here in Times Square
Movie • 2016
Self - Singer
Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy
Movie • 2020
Self - Host
Mademoiselle C
Movie • 2013
Self
Alicia Keys Live in Los Angeles
Movie • 2020
Self
Christina Aguilera: Stripped
Movie • 2002
Self
The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Movie • 2025
Self
The Re-Up
Movie • 2012
Self
Saving OurSelves: BET COVID-19 Relief Effort
Movie • 2020
Self - Performer
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Movie • 2012
Self
Sesame Street
TV • 1969
Self
The Proud Family
TV • 2001
Alicia Keys
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
The Backyardigans
TV • 2004
Mommy Martian (voice)
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self
The Cosby Show
TV • 1984
Maria
The Tyra Banks Show
TV • 2005
Self
Charmed
TV • 1998
P3 Patron
The View
TV • 1997
Self
106 & Park
TV • 2000
Self
Millionär gesucht! - Die SKL Show
TV • 1998
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Self
VERZUZ
TV • 2020
Self
MTV Unplugged
TV • 1989
Self
Cane
TV • 2007
Self
The Saturday Show
TV • 2001
Self
Iconoclasts
TV • 2005
Self
TRL
TV • 1998
Self
Schmidt & Pocher
TV • 2007
Self
Victoires de la musique
TV • 1985
Self
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Radio 1's Big Weekend
TV • 2010
Self
Wetten, dass..?
TV • 1981
Self
La chanson de l'année
TV • 2004
Self
Miley's New Year's Eve Party
TV • 2004
Self - Musical Guest
The Grammys
TV • 1959
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Musical Guest
Red Table Talk
TV • 2018
Self
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts
TV • 2008
Self
The Voice
TV • 2011
Self - Coach
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
TV • 2017
Self
MTV World Stage
TV • 2009
Self
Late Show with David Letterman
TV • 1993
Self
America Beyond the Color Line
TV • 2004
Self
America's Next Top Model
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
Boris Becker meets
TV • 2007
Self
Taraji's White Hot Holidays
TV • 2015
Self
History 101
TV • 2020
Self (archive footage)
MTV Europe Music Awards
TV • 1994
Self
CMT Crossroads
TV • 2002
Self
ECHO-Verleihung
TV • 1992
Self
MTV Europe Music Awards
TV • 1994
Self - Performer
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
Last Call with Carson Daly
TV • 2002
Self - Guest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
TV • 2004
Self (performance)
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Guest Judge
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self - Musical Guest
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self
Regular Heroes
TV • 2020
Self
Star Academy
TV • 2001
Self
Vivement dimanche
TV • 1998
Self
Song Exploder
TV • 2020
Self
Desus & Mero
TV • 2019
Self - Illustrious Guest
American Dreams
TV • 2002
Fontella Bass
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
Parkinson
TV • 1998
Self
The Grammys
TV • 1959
Self - Host
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge
TV • 2010
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Performer