Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Emmy Award winning filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva’s The Ebony Canal has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form Documentary (Film), marking a defining milestone for maternal and infant health storytelling.
The win was announced Tuesday evening, February 24, during the NAACP Studios Short Film Showcase, marking a defining moment for maternal health storytelling on one of the most respected stages honoring Black excellence.
Narrated by EGOT winner Viola Davis, who will be presented with the prestigious Chairman’s Award during Saturday’s live 57th NAACP Image Awards ceremony, The Ebony Canal centers the lived experiences of four Black mothers and their families navigating the maternal health experience America. The Chairman’s Award honors individuals who leverage their platforms to advance meaningful change. Davis’ recognition reflects the powerful alignment between her advocacy and the film’s commitment to advancing maternal and infant health equity.
“This award honors the mothers who entrusted us with their truth, Mariah Peoples, Rachel Strader, Alana Yzola Daly, and Larissa Lane,” said Alaquiva. “Winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form Documentary affirms that Black and Brown maternal and infant health is a public health priority and a national responsibility. We share this award with the families, advocates, and experts who continue this work long after the credits roll.”
The Ebony Canal explores the intersection of infant mortality disparities and the maternal health crisis impacting Black and Brown women. The documentary pairs personal testimony with expert analysis and national policy context, restoring dignity to data while advancing solution driven dialogue.
Following its nomination coverage, Black Enterprise has invited The Ebony Canal to screen at the upcoming Women of Power Summit in Las Vegas next month, further expanding the film’s reach among business leaders, health advocates, and decision makers committed to advancing equity and measurable change.
The growing response to the project has intensified calls to expand the documentary into a feature length film to further examine systemic reform, generational impact, and sustainable solutions to the Black maternal health crisis.
Since its release, the documentary has been screened in over 14 film festivals globally, produced over 20 private screenings and walked away with two Emmy wins, three Webby’s, Best Short Documentary (Social Impact) at the 2025 Essence Film Festival and received the 2025 Cultural Visionary Award from Urbanworld Film Festival.
The ultimate measure of success remains clear for The Ebony Canal team. Saving more lives.
Media Opportunities During NAACP Image Awards Week:
- Interviews with filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva
- Red Carpet – Live Show interviews 2/28/26
- Conversations on the intersection of storytelling, maternal health, and policy
- Commentary on the cultural significance of the film’s historic nomination
- Advance access to screening information and impact initiatives
- The Ebony Canal Impact Report
- The Ebony Canal Press Kit
- The Ebony Canal /NAACP Sizzle Reel
- IG: @theebonycanal
- FB: The Ebony Canal
About The Ebony Canal
This is an Emmy Award-winning documentary film that brings together policy, artistry, and lived experience to reveal how Black maternal and infant health stands at the intersection of love and justice. This film examines the HERstoric portal between the disparities of infant mortality and the current state of maternal health orbiting women and birthing people.
The film captures the humanity and inequities shaping Black motherhood through the stories of Mariah Peoples, Rachel Strader, Alana Yzola Daly, and Larissa Lane The film also features appearances and commentary from Vice President Kamala Harris, actor and advocate Lamman Rucker, and journalist, and maternal health advocate Elaine Welteroth, with creative contributions by Keke Palmer. The film features an original score by Bud’da (Stephen Anderson), a Grammy-nominated producer and composer whose work blends emotion and storytelling. This doc deepens through data and analytic insights from maternal health expert Dr. Margaret Larkins Pettigrew, whose research and advocacy highlight the systemic realities defining birth and survival for Black families in America.
Executive Produced by Brenda Gilbert, Lekha Singh, Sanjay Rawal, and Sam Reiman.
Special thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Janis Burley of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center for their contributions to this film.
- Director Filmmaker: Emmai Alaquiva
- The Ebony Canal wins Outstanding Short Form Documentary