Nigeria’s Joel Benson bags Emmy nominations for ‘Madu’ documentary

‘Madu’, a documentary by Nigerian filmmaker and virtual reality content creator Joel ‘Kachi’ Benson, has been nominated for the 2025 Emmy Awards.

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Co-directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Matt Ogens, the project received nominations for ‘Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary’ and ‘Outstanding Direction’ at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

The 46th annual edition of the award, which celebrates artistic and technical excellence in the American television industry, is organised and presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

‘Madu’ tells the story of Anthony Madu, a young Nigerian ballet dancer who rose to global fame in 2020 after a video of him dancing barefoot in the rain went viral.

The film premiered on 29 March and is currently streaming worldwide on Disney+. It had its first Nigerian screening at the 2024 edition of the iREP International Documentary Film Festival.

News and Documentary

Peer review panels carry out voting for the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

NATAS invites individuals with significant experience in national news or documentary reporting and production to serve as judges.

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Most categories undergo two rounds of voting, with separate judging panels convened for each stage.

The leading entries in each category are announced as the nominees, and the top entry is later revealed as the Emmy winner during the awards ceremony.

This year marks the 46th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards. The awards will be presented over two ceremonies: the News categories on 25 June and the Documentary categories on 26 June, both held at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.

Hungry for stories

The producer of Daughters of Chibok, a virtual reality film centred on the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, said he became a filmmaker to create impactful stories like Madu.

The Creative Director of VR360 Stories, a virtual reality film studio based in Lagos, described his recognition by the National Academy of Television Arts as a victory for himself and the entire community of filmmakers.

The Abia-born said, “Stories like Madu are why I became a filmmaker. They remind us that hope can come from the most unexpected places and that the world is hungry for stories 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 lives.”

Kachi Benson

Benson founded JB Multimedia Studios, a pioneering force in impact storytelling.

He has consistently pushed the boundaries of narrative innovation, shedding light on everyday heroes, hidden struggles, and transformative journeys across the African continent.

READ ALSO: Nigerian historical epic ‘Osamede’ to premiere at Cannes Film Market

In 2018, he produced ‘In Bakassi’, the first virtual reality documentary created by a Nigerian filmmaker.

The film follows the harrowing story of an orphaned boy living with post-traumatic stress disorder in one of the largest camps for internally displaced persons in Maiduguri, Borno State.

‘In Bakassi’ premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival in November 2018 and was subsequently screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

In 2019, Benson produced ‘Daughters of Chibok’, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

The documentary won the Venice Lion for Best Immersive Story (Linear), making Benson the first African filmmaker to receive the prestigious award in that category.