Nigerian Filmmaker Kachi Benson Wins Emmy for Heartfelt Ballet Documentary ‘Madu’

Nigerian filmmaker Kachi Benson has clinched the 2025 Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary for his work on Madu, a Disney Original Documentary that tells the moving story of a young ballet dancer from Lagos whose talent defied all odds.

The announcement was made at the 46th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards held in New York City. Madu, co-directed with American filmmaker Matt Ogens, beat out notable nominees such as As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial, Butterfly in the Sky, Hollywood Black, and King Coal (POV) to claim the top spot in its category.

At the heart of Madu is the story of Anthony Madu, a Nigerian boy who danced ballet barefoot in the rain, captured in a 44-second viral video, and stunned the world. The clip, which has garnered over 16 million views, turned Anthony’s life around, leading him from the streets of Lagos to a scholarship at Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK.

Since its premiere on Disney+ in March 2024, the documentary has earned critical praise for its emotional depth and focus on dreams, determination, and the power of artistic expression. It has also been screened at major film festivals, including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the iREP International Documentary Film Festival in Lagos.

Reacting to the win on Instagram, Benson wrote,

We won an Emmy!!! He reflected on the hurdles behind the project, sharing a heartfelt message of gratitude: Times like this, I look back and I’m grateful for the journey, the pain, and the progress. It wasn’t always easy, but the Almighty remains the ultimate source of strength.

He continued, “It takes a village to raise a child…so I thank EVERYONE who’s been on this journey with me — those who taught me to dream, those who laughed at my dreams, and those who told me to keep dreaming.”

Benson dedicated the Emmy to Nigeria and to “every child with a dream,” emphasising the importance of telling “authentic and inspiring stories.”

Beyond Madu, Benson is also known for his influential 2019 documentary Mothers of Chibok, which explores the pain and perseverance of women whose daughters were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014. The film premiered at Doc NYC, one of America’s leading documentary festivals.

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