Diane Martel (May 7, 1962 – September 18, 2025) was an American music video director and choreographer. As a music video director, she worked with Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Ciara, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lopez. One of her most notable videos was for "Blurred Lines" (2013) by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell.
Early life Martel was born in Brooklyn, on May 7, 1962. Her uncle was theatre producer and director Joseph Papp.
Career Martel began her career as a street artist after dropping out of high school, and soon became a choreographer. Her first film-based projects in the early 1990s were dance-focused documentaries, including 1992's Wreckin' Shop: Live from Brooklyn, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts aired on PBS.
Martel began directing music videos in the early 1990s, beginning with "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx. Martel was creative director of Miley Cyrus's MTV Video Music Awards performance with Robin Thicke, the 2013 video for Cyrus's song "We Can't Stop", and her subsequent Bangerz Tour. Martel also directed the 2013 video for Thicke's song "Blurred Lines". Both the song and the video were accused of misogyny. Martel defended the video, saying she intended it to be satirical: "[The women in the video] are actually ridiculing the men. It's hysterical". Martel's career spanned more than thirty years, concluding with the video for "Ecstasy" by Ciara, released in April 2025.
In 2022, Martel was the Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker at the University of Oregon.
Death Martel died of breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, on September 18, 2025, at the age of 63. She never married and had no children.
Credits Choreographer 1989: Bloodhounds of Broadway – film 1991: "Shiny Happy People" – R.E.M. music video, directed by Katherine Dieckmann 1993: Life with Mikey – feature film directed by James Lapine
Documentary director 1990: House of Tres – short documentary on voguing in the New York ballroom sceneMitoma, Judith; Zimmer, Elizabeth; Stieber, Dale Ann u. a. (2002): Envisioning dance on film and video. New York: Routledge. 1992: Reckin' Shop: Live From Brooklyn – PBS documentary about hip-hop dancers in Brooklyn
Music video director
1990s YearVideoArtistRef.1992"Throw Ya Gunz"Onyx1993"Crewz Pop"Da Youngsta's"Dreamlover"Mariah Carey"Chief Rocka"Lords of the Underground1994"You're Always on My Mind"SWV"Happiness"Billy Lawrence"Bring the Pain"Method Man"What I'm After"Lords of the Underground"Mass Appeal"Gang Starr"Mad Props"Da Youngsta's"The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World"Keith Murray"All I Want for Christmas Is You"Mariah Carey"Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)"Mariah Carey"Anytime You Need a Friend" (unreleased)Mariah Carey1995"Can't Wait"Redman"Get Lifted"Keith Murray"Live Niguz"Onyx"Brooklyn Zoo"Ol' Dirty Bastard"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige"How High"Method Man & Redman"The Riddler"Method Man1996"Funkorama"Redman"It's Alright"Dave Hollister"World So Cruel"Flesh-n-Bone featuring Ms. Chaz Monique and Reverend Run1997"Head over Heels"Allure featuring Nas"Closer/Driver's Seat"Capone-N-Noreaga featuring Smoke of Complexions"Just Wanna Please U" (Remix)Mona Lisa featuring The Lox"4, 3, 2, 1"LL Cool J featuring Method Man, Redman, Canibus, and DMX1998"The Worst"Onyx featuring Wu-Tang Clan"The Roof"Mariah Carey"Breakdown"Mariah Carey featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony"My All" (So So Def Remix)Mariah Carey"Whatcha Gonna Do?"Jayo Felony featuring DMX and Method Man"Whenever You Call"Mariah Carey featuring Brian McKnight"Money, Power & Respect"The Lox featuring DMX and Lil' Kim"Angel of Mine"Monica"N.O.R.E."N.O.R.E."Eyes Better Not Wander"Nicole Wray1999"Heartbreaker" (Remix)Mariah Carey"Genie in a Bottle"Christina Aguilera"Watch Out Now/Turn It Out"The Beatnuts"Cre-A-Tine"Cool Breeze"Another Love Song"Insane Clown Posse"What a Girl Wants"Christina Aguilera"Incredible"Keith Murray featuring LL Cool J"Paper"Krayzie Bone"G'd Up"Tha Eastsidaz featuring Snoop Dogg
2000s YearVideoArtistRef.2000"Case of the Ex"Mýa"Send It On"D'Angelo"If You Don't Wanna Love Me"Tamar"Keep It Thoro"Prodigy"Focus"Erick Sermon featuring DJ Quik and Xzibit"Front 2 Back"Xzibit2001"Who's That Girl?"Eve"Young, Fresh n' New"Kelis"Lapdance"N.E.R.D."After the Rain Has Fallen"Sting2002"My Neck, My Back (Lick It)"Khia"Grindin'"Clipseas Bucky Chorme"Like I Love You"Justin Timberlake"Just a Friend 2002"Mario"From tha Chuuuch to da Palace"Snoop Dogg"Star"702 featuring Clipse"Provider"N.E.R.D.as Bucky Chrome"My Goddess"The Exies2003"Rest in Pieces"Saliva"Stuck"Stacie Orrico"Dance with My Father"Luther Vandross2004"Invisible"Clay Aiken"If I Ain't Got You"Alicia Keys"What's Happenin'"Method Man featuring Busta Rhymes"Welcome to My Truth"Anastacia"I Could Be the One"Stacie Orrico"Nobody's Home"Avril Lavigne"Truth Is"Fantasia Barrino"Bridging the Gap"Nas"Shake Your Coconuts"Junior Senior2005"Hold You Down"Jennifer Lopez featuring Fat Joe"Get Right" (Remix)Jennifer Lopez featuring Fabolous"Fearless"The Bravery"Don't Let It Go to Your Head"Fefe Dobson"So High"John Legend"I Don't Care"Ricky Martin featuring Fat Joe and Amerie"Gotta Go Gotta Leave (Tired)"Vivian Green"Touch"Omarion"Do You Want To"Franz Ferdinand"U Already Know"112"L.O.V.E."Ashlee Simpson2006"Doing Too Much"Paula DeAnda featuring Baby Bash"Ride a White Horse"Goldfrapp"In My Mind"Heather Headley"I'm Not Missing You"Stacie Orrico"Listen"Beyoncé"Tu Amor"RBD"Promise"Ciara2007"Read My Mind"The Killers"For Reasons Unknown"The Killers"Men's Needs"The Cribs"An End Has a Start"Editors"Conquest"The White Stripes"Like You'll Never See Me Again"Alicia Keys"Like a Boy"Ciaraas Ms. D2008"The Boss"Rick Ross"Who's That Girl"Robyn"Google Me"Teyana Taylor"Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)"N.E.R.D."Addiction"Ryan Leslie featuring Cassie and Fabolous"Eat You Up" (American version, unreleased)BoA"Whatcha Think About That"The Pussycat Dolls featuring Missy Elliott"Best of Me"Daniel Powter2009"Mad"Ne-Yo"If This Isn't Love"Jennifer Hudson"Love Sex Magic"Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake"Outta Here"Esmée Denters"Show Me What I'm Looking For"Carolina Liar"Want"Natalie Imbruglia"Boys and Girls"Pixie Lott"3"Britney Spears"Sleza Glamura"Irina Saltykova
2010s YearVideoArtistRef.2010"Whataya Want from Me"Adam Lambert"Missing"Flyleaf"Ride"Ciara featuring Ludacris"Kiss & Cry"Iconiq"Light Ahead"Iconiq"Tokyo Lady"Iconiq"Right Thru Me"Nicki Minaj2011"No One Gonna Love You"Jennifer Hudson"Best Thing I Never Had"Beyoncé"You Can't Be Friends with Everyone"Make Out"25/8"Mary J. Blige"Mr. Wrong"Mary J. Blige"Until It's Gone"Monica2012"Lazy Love"Ne-Yo"Brand New Me"Alicia Keys 2013"Just Give Me a Reason"Pink featuring Nate Ruess"Leggo"B. Smyth featuring 2 Chainz"Blurred Lines"Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell"Lolita"Leah LaBelle"We Can't Stop"Miley Cyrus"Give It 2 U"Robin Thicke featuring 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar"Evil Eye"Franz Ferdinand2014"Pills n Potions"Nicki Minaj2015"Ba$$in"Yelle"Love Me"The 1975"BB Talk"Miley Cyrus2016"After the Afterparty"Charli XCX featuring Lil Yachty2017"Old School"Urban Cone"Malibu"Miley Cyrus"A L I E N S"Coldplay"Younger Now"Miley Cyrus2018"Feel the Love Go"Franz Ferdinand"Give Yourself a Try"The 1975"Dose"CiaraCo-directed with Ciara and Jamsica Craft"Close to Me"Ellie Goulding, Diplo and Swae Lee
2020s YearVideoArtistRef.2020"My Love"Jack Gilinsky featuring Don Toliver2021"Obsessed"Addison Rae"Billy Goodbye"Franz Ferdinand Co-directed with Alex Kapranos and Ben Cole"Make Some Money"Fabolous and Dave East featuring Snoop Dogg2022"Grace"Marcus Mumford"Ojala"The Rudeboyz, Maluma and Adam Levine2023"If I Ain't Got You" (Orchestral version)Alicia Keys"Lifeline"Alicia Keys2025"Ecstasy"Ciara
Awards Martel was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year in 2000 for "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera, and in 2013 for "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell.
In October 2025, Martel posthumously received the Legend Award at the 2025 UK Music Video Awards.
References
External links
Diane Martel at Clipland
Diane Martel at mvdbase.com