Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone; August 16, 1958) is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983. She followed it with a series of albums in which she found immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV. Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". Critics have praised Madonna for her diverse musical productions while at the same time serving as a lightning rod for religious controversy. Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979, despite mixed commentary. She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996), but has received harsh feedback for other film roles. Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer. She has been acclaimed as a businesswoman, and in 2007, she signed an unprecedented US $120 million contract with Live Nation. Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. On May 4, 2024, with a free concert which was live streamed at the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in front of 1.6 million people, Madonna broke the record for the most attended stand-alone concert by any artist, and the all-time highest attended concert by a female artist.

Filmography

• Confessions II - Live in NYC
• 2026Confessions II – The Film — Self, Songs
• 2026Grindr Presents: Madonna LIVE in New York — Self, Music Director, Creative Director, Songs
• 2026Motive — Music
• 2025Funeral Rites — Self, Writer
• 2024Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio — Self, Music Producer, Creative Director, Songs
• 2021Madonna: Madame X — Self - Performer, Producer, Writer
• 2016Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour — Self - Guitar, Ukulele & Vocals
• 2013Secret Project Revolution — Self / Narrator (voice), Director
• 2011Bert Stern - Original Madman
• 2011W.E. — Director, Writer, Producer, Songs
• 2009Madonna: Celebration - The Video Collection — (archive footage)
• 2008Filth and Wisdom — Director, Screenplay, Executive Producer
• 2008I Am Because We Are — Self / Narrator (voice), Writer, Executive Producer
• 2006Arthur and the Invisibles — Princess Selenia (voice)
• 2005I'm Going to Tell You a Secret — Self, Executive Producer
• 2005Madonna: ‘Confessions…..On a promo tour’ — Artist
• 200430 Days Until I'm Famous — Executive Producer
• 2004Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London — Executive Producer
• 2003Agent Cody Banks — Executive Producer
• 2002Die Another Day — Verity (uncredited), Theme Song Performance, Songs
• 2002Swept Away — Amber Leighton
• 2001Star — Star (uncredited)
• The Hire — Star
• 2000The Next Best Thing — Abbie Reynolds
• 1999Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me — Songs
• 1999Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special — (archive footage)
• Will & Grace — Liz
• 1996Evita — Eva Perón
• 1996Girl 6 — Boss #3
• 1995Blue in the Face — Singing Telegram
• 1995Four Rooms — Elspeth
• Kral Türkiye Müzik Ödülleri — Winner
• 1994With Honors — Theme Song Performance
• 1993Body of Evidence — Rebeca Carlson
• 1993Dangerous Game — Sarah Jennings
• 1992A League of Their Own — Mae Mordabito (CF)
• 1992Sex — Self, Executive Producer
• 1991MTV's 10th Anniversary Special — Self, Executive Producer
• 1991Madonna: Truth or Dare — Self, Music, Executive Producer
• 1991Shadows and Fog — Marie
• 1990Dick Tracy — Breathless Mahoney
• 1990Madonna: Blond Ambition World Tour Live — Self, Lyricist, Songs
• 1990Madonna: The Immaculate Collection — Self, Writer, Songs
• The Word
• 1989Bloodhounds of Broadway — Hortense Hathaway
• 1987Who's That Girl — Nikki Finn
• 1986Shanghai Surprise — Gloria Tatlock
• 1985A Certain Sacrifice — Bruna
• 1985Desperately Seeking Susan — Susan, Songs
• 1985Vision Quest — Singer, Songs
• American Playhouse — Hortense Hathaway
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host, Self - Cameo (uncredited), Self - Musical Guest, Self (uncredited), Liz Rosenberg (uncredited)
• 1974The Egg — The Egg Girl
• Madonna: No Bull! The Making of 'Take a Bow'
• Warner Music Group Does DVD Volume 2
• Who's That Girl — Writer, Director

Appearances as themselves (142)

• 2026Madonna + Graham — Self
• 2026PARTY ! — Herself (archives footage)
• 2025A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Diane Warren: Relentless — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio (Behind-the-scenes) — Self
• 2025Rebel of Pop: Madonna — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Avicii - I'm Tim — Self - Singer (archive footage)
• 2024Becoming Madonna — Self (archive footage)
• In Vogue: The 90s — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2024The Greatest Night in Pop — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Commitment to Life — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero — Self
• 2023Madonna X Vanity Fair – The Enlightenment — Self
• Il était une fois Champs-Élysées — Self (archive footage)
• 2022In France with Madonna — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Jean-Michel Basquiat, artiste absolu — Self (Archive footage)
• 2022Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees — Self (archive footage)
• 2022The True Story of Madonna — Self
• 2021Arianne Phillips: Dressing the Part — Self
• 2021Madame X Presents: Madame Xtra Q&A — Self
• 2021Madonna at the BBC — Self
• 2021Madonna: Move to the Music — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Beastie Boys Story — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert — Self (archive footage)
• History 101 — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The A-Z of Eurovision — Self - Presenter (archive footage)
• 2020The BRITs at 40 — Self (archive footage)
• The Last Dance — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Demokratie unter Druck – Europa vor der Wahl — Self - Singer (archive footage)
• 2019Madonna and the Breakfast Club — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Madonna: World of Madame X — Self
• 2019Music Videos That Defined the 00’s — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Rodman: For Better or Worse — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Debbie Harry: Atomic Blondie — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Jean Paul Gaultier : Freak & Chic — Self
• 2018Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. — Self (archive footage)
• The 90s Greatest — self (archive footage)
• 2017Avicii: True Stories — Self
• 2017Basquiat: Rage to Riches — Self (archive footage)
• The Nineties — Self (archive footage)
• The True Story of... — Self (archive footage)
• Discovering Fashion — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Express Yourself: Die Tänzer der Queen of Pop — Self
• 2016Madonna: Tears of a Clown — Self
• 2016Strike a Pose — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2015The Material Boy — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Miley Cyrus: MTV Unplugged — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self - Guest
• 2013Are All Men Pedophiles? — Self (archive footage)
• 2013Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day — Self (archive footage)
• 2013Madonna: MDNA World Tour — Self - Guitar and Vocals
• 2013Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer — Self (archive footage)
• 2013The Women Concert for Change — Self
• 2012Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe — Self (archive footage)
• Fashion ! — Self (archive footage)
• 2012Lady Gaga: On the Edge — Self
• 2012Madonna: Goddess of Pop — Self (archive footage)
• 2012Madonna: Live at Paris Olympia — Self - Performer
• 2012Madonna: The Lady Is a Vamp — Self
• 2011La vraie histoire de Madonna — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Madonna - Do You Think I'm Sexy Unauthorized — Self
• 2011Playtime Is Over — Self
• Stalked: Someone's Watching — Self (archive footage)
• 2011The Undefeated — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Madonna - Out on the Floor — Self
• 2010Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour — Self
• 2010Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour - Behind-The-Scenes — Self
• The Marriage Ref — Self - Panelist
• 2009Der Regisseur Uli Edel - Fakten und Fiktion — Self
• 2009O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar — Self (archive footage)
• 2008Britney: For the Record — Self (uncredited)
• 2008Madonna: Live from Roseland Ballroom in New York — Self
• 2008The Universe of Keith Haring — Self (archive footage)
• 2007365 Day Project — Self
• 2007Madonna: Live Earth Concert at London — Self
• 2007Madonna: Queen of Pop — Self
• The Graham Norton Show — Self - Guest
• 2006Madonna - The Video Collection 2000-2006 — Self
• 2006Madonna: Something To Remember (The Unreleased Videos) — Self
• 2006Madonna: The Confessions Tour — Self - Lead Vocals & Guitar
• 2005Live 8 — Self
• 2005Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today — Self
• 2004Bettie Page: The Girl in the Leopard Print Bikini — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Britney Spears: Greatest Hits - My Prerogative — Self
• 2004Madonna: Re-Invention World Tour — Self
• Parkinson — Self - Guest / Performer (archive footage), Self - Guest (archive footage)
• 2004Retro Video Collection 1975-1999 vol2 — self
• 2003101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Britney Spears: In the Zone — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Celebrity Naked Ambition — Self (archive footage)
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self - Guest
• 2002Heart of the Festival — Self (archive footage)
• 2002Naqoyqatsi — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2002Swept Away Movie Special — Self
• 2001Madonna: Drowned World Tour 2001 — Self
• Star Academy — Self
• The Saturday Show — Self
• 2001There's Only One Madonna — Self (archive footage)
• 2000Madonna: The Ultimate Collection — Self - Vocalist
• 1999Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 — Self
• 1999Torrance Rises — Self
• 1998Inside the Golden Statue — Self
• 1998Junket Whore — Self
• 1998Kids Are Punny — Self (voice)
• 1998Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's — Self
• 1998The Righteous Babes — Self (archive footage)
• Elle Style Awards — Self - Winner
• 1997Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life — Self
• Leute heute — Self
• 1996A New Madonna: The Making of 'Evita' — Self
• 1993Madonna Exposed — Self (archive footage)
• 1993Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under — Self
• 1993Madonna: The Girlie Show Live in Japan 1993 — Self
• 1993Madonna: The Name of the Game — Self
• ECHO-Verleihung — Self
• 1992Madonna: The Making of SEX Book — Self
• 1991Madonna - The Real Story — Self
• 1990Dick Tracy: Behind the Badge, Behind the Scenes — Self
• 1990Madonna: Blond Ambition - Japan Tour 90 — Self
• 1990Madonna: Blond Ambition World Tour 90 from Barcelona — Self
• 1988Electric Blue 27 — Self (segment "Celebrity Nude")
• 1988Madonna: Ciao, Italia! - Live from Italy — Self
• 1987Madonna: Who's That Girl - Live in Japan — Self
• Sacrée soirée — Self, Self (Clip) (archive footage)
• 1986Who Killed Michael Stewart? — Self
• 1986Women in Rock — Self (archive footage)
• 1985Live Aid — Self
• 1985Madonna: The Virgin Tour Live — Self
• MTV Video Music Awards — Self
• Wogan — Self
• Wetten, dass..? — Self
• The BRIT Awards — Self
• 1976Melodies and Rythms of Foreign Pop Music — Self
• aspekte — Self
• Top of the Pops — Self
• The Grammys — Self
• Eurovision Song Contest — Self - Performer
• Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis — Self
• Madonna Swimming — Self (archive footage)