MK Asante is a bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, recording artist, and distinguished professor who the Los Angeles Times calls “One of America’s best storytellers.”
He is the author of five books including Buck: A Memoir, which was praised by Maya Angelou as “A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style.” His latest book, Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony, is the winner of the 2025 In the Margins Book Award.
Asante studied at SOAS University of London and earned a B.A. from Lafayette College where he also received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts. He received his M.F.A. from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
He is the founder of the Emmy®-nominated Wonderful Sound Studios, a creative studio whose work in film, audio, and television has reached over 250 million viewers. Asante co-wrote the 2021 NBA Finals broadcast opens on ABC directed by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee.
He co-wrote (with Phil Collins) the official ESPN/ABC Monday Night Football anthem, “In the Air Tonight,” performed by Grammy-winning artists Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg. Recorded at Wonderful Sound Studios, the Nephew audiobook received the 2024 Earphones Award from AudioFile magazine and the 2024 Outstanding Audiobook Narration from the American Library Association.
Asante has lectured at Harvard, Yale, The British Library, as well as hundreds of other venues. He has toured in over 50 countries and was awarded the Key to the City of Dallas, Texas. He is featured in A Changing America, a permanent video exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Asante has been featured on hundreds of media outlets including the Today Show, Time magazine, and The Breakfast Club. Hailed by CNN as “a master storyteller and major creative force”, he has published essays in the New York Times and USA Today. Asante Executive Produced and Hosted the award-winning Snap original shows While Black with MK Asante and Free Tuition with MK Asante. His inspirational story “The Blank Page” is featured in the #1 New York Times best-seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Asante was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA Business School in Gujarat, India. He is currently a tenured professor of Cinematic Arts and Sciences at Morgan State University where he is the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award.
