Alicia Keys Swizz Beatz Back “Black Is Beautiful” Doc About Legendary Photographer Kwame Brathwaite

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are now executive producers on the Kwame Brathwaite documentary that’s winning major awards.

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are stepping into executive producer roles for a documentary celebrating one of the most influential photographers in Black history.

The two music powerhouses just joined the creative team behind “Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story,” bringing their star power to a project that’s already making serious waves in the festival circuit.

This move signals how important Kwame Brathwaite’s legacy has become to the culture.

The 17-time Grammy-winning singer and producer, alongside Grammy-winning producer and artist Swizz Beatz, are now part of the executive producer lineup for the Wayfarer Studios, Misfits Entertainment, and Mediawan documentary.

According to Deadline, the announcement comes right after the film’s sold-out premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, where it took home the Audience Award for Best British Discovery.

The documentary has been on a roll, winning Best Documentary Feature at the 34th Annual Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and premiering at DOC NYC to a strong reception.

Directed by Yemi Bamiro, the documentary tells the story of photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite, who spent over six decades capturing the visual essence of Black culture and identity.

Starting in Harlem during the 1950s and continuing until his death in 2023, Brathwaite shot roughly half a million photographs.

His work documented everyday people on the streets, alongside intimate shots of legendary figures such as Stevie Wonder, Muhammad Ali, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, and the Jackson Five.

His photography became the visual backbone of the transformative “Black Is Beautiful” movement, fundamentally changing how Black identity was represented and celebrated.

This is the kind of project that shows how music and film continue to intersect in telling stories that matter to culture.

The film’s momentum heading into wider distribution suggests this documentary is positioned to reach audiences far beyond the festival circuit.

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