Born on July 11, 1964 in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, Lebo is a renowned composer, arranger, co-producer, and performer. He first broke through in Hollywood for his collaboration with Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack for the 1992 film The Power of One. Following this success, Zimmer recruited Lebo for the soundtrack of Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King. Lebo wrote and performed the opening of the legendary song “Circle of Life,” among others. That song earned Lebo a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals, with The Lion King soundtrack also taking home an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Building on the original film soundtrack’s success, Lebo contributed to an additional one-off soundtrack, Rhythm of the Pride Lands, as well as the soundtrack for the film’s sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, and the 2019 photorealistic remake of The Lion King. Furthermore, Lebo joined Lin-Manuel Miranda in composing music for Mufasa: The Lion King, released December 2024.

Several years after its release, The Lion King was transformed into a stage musical, with compositions by Lebo and Zimmer, as well as Elton John, Julie Taymor, and more. The musical took home the Tony Award for Best Musical and also received a nomination for Best Original Score. The musical has since become the highest-grossing Broadway production ever, as well as one of the longest-running Broadway productions, gracing the stage for over 21 years and having reached over 100 million people with audiences across the globe.

In addition to The Lion King franchise, Lebo has also contributed to various other films, such as Dinosaur, Back on the Block, The Life of Quincy Jones, Congo, Long Night’s Journey into Day, Tears of the Sun, The Legend of Tarzan, and The Woman King. Lebo is also renowned across South Africa as one of the country’s biggest stars. He notably co-produced The Lion King South Africa in 2007, served as the composer and co-executive producer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and founded organizations including the Lebo M Foundation and Till Dawn Entertainment in South Africa.