“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 tells the story of Anthony Madu, the young boy who went viral for dancing ballet in the rain and later received a scholarship to a prestigious British ballet school.
The film also earned a nomination in the Outstanding Direction – Documentary category, further affirming its critical acclaim. The awards ceremony took place on Thursday night at the Palladium Times Square in New York City, as part of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ annual celebration of excellence in journalism and documentary filmmaking.
Following the win, co-director Joel Kachi Benson shared his gratitude on Instagram, writing:
“We won an Emmy. Times like this I look back and I am grateful for the journey, pain and progress. It wasn’t always easy, but the Almighty remains the utmost source of strength. It takes a village to raise a child, so I thank everyone who has been on this journey with me.”
Matt Ogens, who also co-produced the project, reflected on the significance of the award:
“Madu is a film about acceptance, belonging, and manifesting big, impossible dreams. This recognition is more than an honor—it is a celebration of resilience, identity, and the universal desire to be seen. We made this film to tell a story that matters.”
The documentary segment of the Emmy Awards saw National Geographic take home the most wins, with six awards, followed by Netflix with four. Other notable winners included MSNBC’s The Sing Sing Chronicles, named Best Documentary, and Paramount+’s We Will Dance Again, which won for Best Current Affairs Documentary. The Sixth, which explores the events of January 6, 2021, was awarded Best Politics and Government Documentary.
Benson’s Emmy win with Madu continues his rise as a significant voice in African documentary filmmaking. His latest work, Mothers of Chibok, centers on the mothers affected by the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping. The film is currently competing at the Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, one of the continent’s leading nonfiction festivals, as previously reported by The Nollywood Reporter.
The News & Documentary Emmy Awards are part of the broader Emmy recognition program celebrating outstanding achievement in American television. This year’s awards were presented across two nights, with documentary winners announced on Thursday and news categories revealed on Wednesday. Networks such as CBS, ABC, CNN, and National Geographic featured prominently among the honorees.