Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson has earned two prestigious Emmy nominations for Madu, the powerful feature documentary he co-directed with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Matt Ogens.
Nominated in the categories of Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary and Outstanding Direction at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards, this milestone marks a significant breakthrough not just for Benson, but also for Nigeria’s growing documentary film industry on the global stage.
Madu tells the remarkable true story of Anthony Madu, a young ballet dancer from Lagos whose viral video—dancing barefoot in the rain—captivated millions and ultimately transformed his life. The documentary follows Anthony’s journey from the streets of Nigeria to the renowned Elmhurst Ballet School in the United Kingdom, capturing the emotional depth and beauty of his path to possibility.
Premiering globally on Disney+, Madu has received widespread acclaim for its poetic visual storytelling, emotional resonance, and exploration of themes like resilience, identity, and opportunity. It has been featured at leading international film festivals and is now used as an educational resource in classrooms around the world.
These Emmy nominations represent a landmark moment in Benson’s career, whose previous work Daughters of Chibok won the Venice Lion, and whose sequel, Mothers of Chibok, recently premiered in Nigeria to strong reception. More broadly, the recognition of Madu underscores the increasing global appetite for authentic African narratives told with nuance and heart.
“Stories like Madu are why I became a filmmaker,” Benson shared. “They remind us that hope can come from the most unexpected places, and that the world is hungry for stories told from an authentic African perspective. This recognition by the National Academy of Television Arts is a win for all of us who believe in the power of documentary to change minds and change lives.”
Through his Lagos-based production company, JB Multimedia Studios, Benson has consistently championed impact-driven storytelling, bringing to light stories of everyday heroes, hidden struggles, and extraordinary transformations across Africa.
With these Emmy nods, Joel Kachi Benson joins a rising wave of African creators making their mark on the global stage—and signals a new era for documentary filmmaking from the continent.
