Who directed Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” music video?

Stephen R. Johnson directed Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” music video.

Released in 1986, the video combined stop motion, pixilation, clay animation, replacement animation, and live-action imagery. Gabriel appears largely motionless while visual effects transform his face and body, creating a playful sequence closely synchronized with the song’s rhythm.

The production involved animators and artists including the Brothers Quay and Aardman Animations. Its labor-intensive techniques made it a landmark of 1980s music television and helped demonstrate how music videos could function as experimental short films.

The video became one of the most decorated clips in MTV history. At the 1987 Video Music Awards, “Sledgehammer” won nine awards, a record at the time. Viewers sometimes attribute the direction to Gabriel himself or to an animation studio, but Stephen R. Johnson is credited as the director.