Madu, the Disney Original Documentary co-directed by Joel Kachi Benson and Matt Ogens, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
Madu, the Disney Original Documentary co-directed by Joel Kachi Benson and Matt Ogens, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
The documentary, about a Nigerian boy named Anthony Madu who went viral for dancing ballet in the rain and received a scholarship to attend an elite British ballet school, also earned a nomination in the “Outstanding Direction – Documentary” category at this year’s Emmys.
Receiving the Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary on the Emmys stage on the night of 26th June, 2025, alongside his American co-director Matt Ogens, the Nigerian documentary filmmaker, Joel Kachi Benson said, “This is a great honour. Thanks to Disney and the entire team at Hunting Lane. This win is for Nigeria, really. Thank you. And we’d like to dedicate this to Anthony Madu and every kid out there who has a dream. The world is watching and waiting to hear your story.”
In an earlier interview, Benson told Afrocritik, “Once I understand and figure out why I am making this film, and I achieve that, then every other thing is more like an add-on.” However, he also noted his gratitude: “It’s humbling when you think about it, because I remember many years ago when I told my friends I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker and everyone thought I was crazy… It’s humbling, and I’m thankful.”
Benson’s previous documentaries have screened around the world, from Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival to Cannes XR. His 2018 short virtual reality documentary, In Bakassi, screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and was the first VR documentary created by a Nigerian filmmaker. His 2019 documentary short, Daughters of Chibok, was the first African film to win “Best Virtual Reality Story” at the Venice International Film Festival.
His latest film, Mothers of Chibok (2024), a documentary about Chibok mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of the Chibok Schoolgirls Kidnapping, is touring the international festival circuit and is currently in competition at Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, the premier documentary festival in Africa.