Kachi Benson: From Self-Taught Creative to Nigeria’s First Emmy Winner

When Kachi Benson walked up to the stage at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards on June 27, his words carried more than celebration.

“This win is for Nigeria,” he said, dedicating the award to Anthony Madu — the young ballet dancer at the heart of his film — and to “every kid out there who has a dream.”

For Benson, those words weren’t abstract. They reached back to his own story — a childhood shaken by the loss of his mother, the sudden halt of formal education, and the uncertainty that followed. Against those odds, he taught himself filmmaking and has now made history as the first Nigerian to ever win an Emmy.

Discovering Film by Chance

Benson’s filmmaking journey didn’t start in a classroom. He picked up a camera by accident, but the curiosity stuck. After finishing high school, he spent ten years chasing images — from everyday scenes to experimental projects — slowly sharpening his skills and discovering his unique voice.

By 2018, his experiments led him into the world of virtual reality, making him one of the first Nigerian filmmakers to explore VR storytelling. That leap into new technology set the stage for the recognition that would come years later.

The Film That Changed Everything

The opportunity that would define his career arrived in his inbox. Hunting Lane Films, a Los Angeles–based company, reached out with a proposal: tell the story of Anthony Madu, the boy who went viral dancing ballet barefoot in the Lagos rain.

Benson agreed, and by 2021 production had begun. He partnered with Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director Matthew Ogens to co-direct the documentary Madu. The film, later acquired and distributed by Disney, resonated globally — not only as a portrait of Anthony’s talent but also as a testament to resilience, passion, and possibility.

Making History

The Emmy win sealed Benson’s place in Nigeria’s cultural history. But beyond the award, his story is proof that talent can bloom outside conventional routes — that self-teaching, persistence, and belief can rival formal training.

From the streets of Lagos to the Emmy stage in New York, Kachi Benson has redefined what’s possible for Nigerian filmmakers. His win isn’t just a personal victory; it’s an open door for the next generation of storytellers, waiting to tell their own stories to the world.