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

• 2025Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story — Executive Producer
• 2023Alicia Keys at the BBC — Singer
• 2023The Color Purple — Songs
• 2023The Diary of Alicia Keys - Live from New York
• 2023Uncharted — Self, Executive Producer
• 2022Apple Music Live: Alicia Keys — Cantora
• 2021A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks — Executive Producer
• 2021How It Feels to Be Free — Executive Producer
• 2021Resort to Love — Producer
• 2020Work It — Producer
• 2016Hidden Figures — Songs
• 2016Let Me In — Zara, Executive Producer, Music
• 2016Queen of Katwe — Songs
• 2016The Gospel — Self, Original Music Composer, Executive Producer
• Empire — Skye Summers
• 2015Jem and the Holograms — Alicia Keys
• 2014The Amazing Spider-Man 2 — Songs
• 201312 Years a Slave — Songs
• 201312-12-12
• 2013Girl Rising — Narrator - Cambodia (voice)
• 2013The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete — Executive Producer, Original Music Composer
• 2012Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars — Self, Original Music Composer
• 2011Five — Director
• ITV Exposure
• BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge
• 2010Sex and the City 2 — Songs
• 2008Quantum of Solace — Theme Song Performance
• 2008The Secret Life of Bees — June Boatwright
• 2007The Nanny Diaries — Lynette
• 2006Smokin' Aces — Georgia Sykes
• The Backyardigans — Mommy Martian (voice), Songs
• American Dreams — Fontella Bass
• 2002The Making of What's Going On: All-Star Tribute
• 2001Dr. Dolittle 2 — Songs
• The Proud Family — Alicia Keys
• Charmed — P3 Patron
• 1997Men in Black — Songs
• Later... with Jools Holland
• American Masters — Executive Producer
• The Cosby Show — Maria
• Untitled Alvin Ailey Project — Producer

Appearances as themselves (118)

• 2026Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen — Self
• 2026RAYE Live at Montreux Jazz Festival — Self
• 2025The Disappearance of Miss Scott — Self
• 2024Prince and His Songs at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Alicia Keys - Live at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2023 — Self
• 2023Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now — Self (archive footage)
• 2023They All Came Out to Montreux — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Kanye West: DONDA Experience Performance 2 22 22 — Self
• 2022Platinum Party at the Palace — Self
• 2022Post Malone: Runaway — Self
• 20212021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self
• 2021Alicia Keys - Citi Concert Series Today Show — Self
• 2020A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant — Self
• 2020Alicia Keys Live in Los Angeles — Self
• 2020Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve — Self
• 2020Dear Class of 2020 — Self
• 2020Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy — Self - Host
• 2020FOX Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America — Self
• 2020Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 — Self - Musical Guest
• History 101 — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince — Self
• 2020One World: Together at Home — Self
• Regular Heroes — Self
• 2020Saving OurSelves: BET COVID-19 Relief Effort — Self - Performer
• Song Exploder — Self
• VERZUZ — Self
• 2019Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul — Self
• Desus & Mero — Self - Illustrious Guest
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• American Idol — Self - Mentor/Performer
• Red Table Talk — Self
• 2017Alicia Keys - Landmarks Live in Concert — Self
• 2017Alicia Keys: Baloise Session 2017 — Self - Performing Artist
• 2017Alicia Keys: Rock in Rio 2017 — Self
• Carpool Karaoke: The Series — Self
• 2017Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives — Self
• 2016Alicia Keys - Here in Times Square — Self - Singer
• 2015A MusiCares Tribute to Carole King — Self
• Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter — Self
• 2015Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert — Self
• Taraji's White Hot Holidays — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Musical Guest
• 2014John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly — Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• 2014Nas: Time Is Illmatic — Self
• 2014The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self
• 2013Alicia Keys - VH1 Storytellers — Self
• 2013Alicia Keys: Rock In Rio — Self - Singer
• 2013Mademoiselle C — Self
• 201212-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief — Self
• 2012A MusiCares Tribute To Paul McCartney — Self
• 2012Alicia Keys - MTV Crashes Manchester — Self
• 2012Alicia Keys Taratata 2012 — Self
• 2012Alicia Keys: iTunes Festival — Self
• 2012The Re-Up — Self
• The Voice — Self - Coach
• Radio 1's Big Weekend — Self
• 2010Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days — Self (uncredited) (archive footage)
• 2009Alicia Keys - Live in New York — Self
• 2009Alicia Keys – The Element Of Freedom: Deluxe Edition — Self
• 2009DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70 — Self (archive footage)
• MTV World Stage — Self
• 2009Q: The Man — Self
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Guest Judge
• 2008Alicia Keys - As I Am — Self
• NPR Tiny Desk Concerts — Self
• Boris Becker meets — Self
• Cane — Self
• 2007Elmo's Christmas Countdown — Self
• Schmidt & Pocher — Self
• The Graham Norton Show — Self
• 2005Alicia Keys: Unplugged — Self
• Iconoclasts — Self
• 2005Live 8 — Self
• The Tyra Banks Show — Self
• 2004Alicia Keys live North Sea Jazz — Self
• America Beyond the Color Line — Self
• 2004Genius. A Night for Ray Charles — Self
• La chanson de l'année — Self
• Miley's New Year's Eve Party — Self - Musical Guest
• On Air with Ryan Seacrest — Self
• 2003Alicia Keys: From Start to Stardom — Self
• America's Next Top Model — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Guest
• Pepsi Smash — Self
• 2003The Blackout - Fat Joe Vs Jay-Z At The Rucker — Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• CMT Crossroads — Self
• 2002Christina Aguilera: Stripped — Self
• Last Call with Carson Daly — Self - Guest
• 2002The Best of Max — Self
• 2001America | A Tribute to Heroes — Self - Performer
• Star Academy — Self
• The Saturday Show — Self
• 106 & Park — Self
• Millionär gesucht! - Die SKL Show — Self
• Parkinson — Self
• TRL — Self
• Vivement dimanche — Self
• The View — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• MTV Europe Music Awards — Self, Self - Performer
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self, Self - Guest/Musical Guest, Self - Musical Guest
• ECHO-Verleihung — Self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self
• MTV Unplugged — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self
• Victoires de la musique — Self
• MTV Video Music Awards — Self
• Entertainment Tonight — Self
• Wetten, dass..? — Self
• People's Choice Awards — Self - Performer
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Musical Guest
• Sesame Street — Self
• The Grammys — Self, Self - Host
• Sanremo Music Festival — Self - Special Guest