Nigerian documentary filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson has etched his name into history as his Disney Original Documentary Madu clinched the Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary at the 2025 News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York City—marking the first-ever Emmy win for a Nigerian documentary in this category.
Madu, co-directed with Oscar nominee Matt Ogens, follows the inspirational story of Anthony Madu, the young Nigerian ballet dancer whose barefoot pirouettes in a rain-soaked courtyard captivated the world. The film traces Anthony’s path from viral fame in Lagos to a scholarship at the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK, capturing the emotional and cultural shifts of a young artist chasing his dream across continents.
“This Emmy is a win for Nigeria, for storytellers everywhere, and for anyone who dares to dream. ‘Madu’ is proof that our stories matter,” said Benson.
The Emmy win is not Benson’s only triumph this week. His newest film, Mothers of Chibok—a follow-up to his groundbreaking VR piece Daughters of Chibok—won Best African Feature Documentary, the top prize at the Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, Africa’s most prestigious doc fest.
Premiering earlier this year, Mothers of Chibok gives voice to the enduring grief and resilience of the women whose daughters were abducted in the 2014 Chibok tragedy, reminding the world of a crisis still seeking closure. It builds on the legacy of Daughters of Chibok, which won the Venice Lion for Best VR Story in 2019—the first for any African filmmaker in that category.
“Stories like ‘Madu’ and ‘Mothers of Chibok’ reinforce my belief that documentaries truly can change lives,” Benson added.
With both an Emmy and a continental grand jury prize in hand, Benson is solidifying his reputation as one of Africa’s leading impact storytellers. Through his Lagos-based production company, JB Multimedia Studios, he continues to challenge narratives, amplify unheard voices, and put Nigerian documentary filmmaking on the global map.
Mothers of Chibok is currently on the international festival circuit.
