Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasiev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is a Brazilian-American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer of Russian descent. He is known for his longtime collaboration with Mariah Carey on her first six studio albums. He won the 1999 Grammy Award in the Record of the Year category for producing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, and the 2000 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
Aside from Carey and Dion, Afanasieff has also written and produced music for many other recording artists as well, such as Richard Marx, Whitney Houston, Thalía, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, George Benson, Destiny's Child, Kenny G, Michael Bolton, Toni Braxton, Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Loggins, Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Leona Lewis, Idina Menzel and Lara Fabian.