" Enter Sandman " was the second music video from Metallica and the first from '' Metallica '' . It was also the first of six Metallica music videos directed by Wayne Isham . Recorded in Los Angeles , it premiered on July 30 , 1991 , two weeks before the release of the album . The plot of the music video directly relates to the theme of the song , combining images of a child having nightmares and images of an old man ( R. G. Armstrong ) with shots of the band playing the song . The child dreams that he is drowning , falling from the top of a building , covered in snakes , being chased by a truck and finally falling from a mountain while escaping the truck . During the part of the song in which the child recites a prayer , he is being watched by the Sandman . Throughout the video , the picture flickers continuously . The music video won Best Hard Rock Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Editing . Andrew Blackie of PopMatters has said the video 's " narrative suits the sludgy riffs and James Hetfield 's twisted lullaby lyric "
1992 MTV Video Music Awards
1992 MTV Video Music Awards
Enter Sandman