
Sky Documentaries set to portrait the Queen of Pop in brand-new original feature documentary, Becoming MadonnaTuesday 26 November 2024
Sky Documentaries today announces a brand-new original feature documentary, charting Madonna's rise to become the biggest female pop icon in history.
Becoming Madonna is an immersive, archive driven film built around a cache of recently uncovered audio tapes in which a young Madonna reflects on her extraordinary life and career.
With rare footage, unseen photos and intimate interviews with family, friends and collaborators, some of whom have never spoken in a documentary before, the film shows this celebrated star as we've never seen her before.
When Madonna arrived in New York City from Michigan with dreams of becoming a professional dancer, it was the start of an incredible journey. This film charts the period 1978-1992 as Madonna dramatically transformed herself from insecure 19-year-old outsider to the most controversial pop star in the world, with the astonishing publication of her erotic photography book Sex'.
These were the heady years during which Madonna came of age as a person and an uncompromising artist. Through her fiery conflicts with the conservative establishment in the 80s and 90s, the film powerfully evokes a time where traditional views on sexuality and gender roles were being audaciously challenged and Madonna was always at the vanguard.
Previously unseen archive sheds new light on the personal tragedies that fuelled Madonna's drive, re-examining the early death of her mother and those of her dance teacher Christopher Flynn and close friend Martin Burgoyne, both of whom died during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.Through their stories, we see Madonna in a new light: smarter, more radical and more vulnerable than anyone at the time gave her credit for.
Hayley Reynolds, Acting Director of Documentaries and Factual, Sky, said: Since her debut in the 80s, Madonna has been a powerhouse in pop music and carved the way for many of today's most popular artists. This film brings a fresh perspective on an enduring icon and we're thrilled to be working alongside Optomen to bring her story to Sky audiences
Nick Hornby, Co CEO of Optomen, added: We're so grateful to the team of Sky Documentaries for backing us on such a bold and audacious film
Becoming Madonna is produced by Optomen in association with All3Media International and commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual at Sky. Executive Producers for Sky are Tom Barry, Bruce Fletcher and Gilberte Phanor. Michael Ogden serves as Director. Executive producers for Optomen are Eliana Capitani, Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby. All3Media International is looking after international sales for the title.
Becoming Madonna is coming to Sky Documentaries and NOW soon.
Notes to editors:
For more information:
Annabel.Baring@sky.uk
Ellis.Ritchie@sky.uk
About SkySky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It's in our DNA.
We're famous for innovation. We offer the world's smartest TV, Sky Glass; our plug and play streaming puck, Sky Stream; the best aggregation platform, Sky Q: and streaming services NOW and WOW. We provide connectivity you can count on in mobile, fast, secure, reliable residential and business broadband, as well as smart home protection through Sky Protect.
We're Europe's premium content producer. We create award-winning original content, produce the biggest live sporting events, and we provide free access to news and the arts. Our new state-of-the-art film and TV studio Sky Studios Elstree is projected to attract £3 billion of new production investment to the UK in its first five years and create up to 2,000 jobs.
We are a diverse and inclusive employer that has a positive impact on society and the communities that we work and live in. Sky plays a major role in the UK's cultural economy and, in 2022 alone, supported a contribution of £20 billion to UK GDP, broadcast 70,000 hours of elite sports coverage and invested over £130 million to provide news to consumers free of charge.
Latest news
The Day of the Jackal becomes the biggest new series launch ever on Sky
Sky launches Essential TV, bringing together Sky, Netflix and discovery+ for £15 a month
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jonny Lee Miller, Sheldon Shepherd and Bel Powley to star in new Sky Original thriller Inheritance
Ella Purnell to return in second killer series of Sky's Sweetpea
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
24/03/2026
As the music industry gathers for Canada's Juno Awards, the local edition of...
24/03/2026
Behind every great song is a complex web of people, stories, and inspirations th...
24/03/2026
Few filmmakers have shaped popular cinema as profoundly as Steven Spielberg. So ...
24/03/2026
Latest Eurorack modules revealed
ALM/Busy Circuits have just introduced another two Eurorack modules, delivering a powerful new modulator that builds on the...
24/03/2026
Smallest, most affordable MPC to date
Akai Pro have just introduced their most accessible standalone sampler to date, making the iconic MPC experience avail...
24/03/2026
Create & manage presets on Windows & macOS
Electro-Harmonix have announced that their free Mac/Windows application now allows users of their Oceans Abyss re...
24/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz amplifiers enable high-field immunity testing expansion at IB Le...
24/03/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
24/03/2026
Rick Bernier reflects on a career that has taken him to the very top of live broadcast audio. As a Senior Broadcast Audio A1 Engineer and Music Director, he has...
24/03/2026
RT 's new history podcast, What Were We Like, is out now. Hosted by historian Diarmaid Ferriter and archivist Catriona Crowe, the series focuses on modern I...
24/03/2026
Tuesday 24 March 2026
Netflix partners with Sky Business to bring boxing night ...
24/03/2026
The Death of Bunny Munro and Lockerbie: A Search for Truth receive four nominations eachTuesday 24 March 2026
Sky celebrates 28 nominations at the 2026 BAFTA T...
24/03/2026
Tubi Turns Passion into Performance at IAB Newfront Announces New Interactive Ad Formats Including Scene Sense, Interactive Pause Ads and Connected Conversion...
24/03/2026
Arqiva shortlisted for Education Initiative of the Year'
We're excited to announce that we've been named a Finalist at the British Data Awards 202...
24/03/2026
Use of ABC data continues to grow, with 87% of buyers say they use it, compared ...
24/03/2026
All three presenters, Maura, D ith and Sinead, celebrate as afternoon chat show filmed in Cork hits milestone.
Ireland's longest running afternoon show, t...
24/03/2026
March 24 2026, 04:00 (PDT) Dolby Named to Fast Company's Annual List of the...
23/03/2026
It's been 20 years since Miley Cyrus introduced the world to Hannah Montana,...
23/03/2026
Made entirely from real natural recordings
Aimed at sound designers and editors working in film, TV and game audio, the latest release from BOOM Library com...
23/03/2026
Transcribe sheets, tabs or MIDI from audio files
Klang.io have announced the launch of a new AI-powered software tool that's capable of detecting multip...
23/03/2026
Monday 23 March 2026
Hacks, the multi-Emmy -winning Sky Exclusive comedy, retur...
23/03/2026
RT is sad today to learn of the death of legendary RT Sport broadcaster Michael Lyster, who died this morning aged 71 years.
Kevin Bakhurst, Director-General...
23/03/2026
RT Documentary On One has scooped its first ever dedicated music award. At the 2026 Icelandic Music Awards, composer lfur Eldj rn won Release of the Year in t...
23/03/2026
Inside Sport, Liveline, Morning Ireland and 2FM DRIVE will all be in Prague to bring fans to the heart of the action
Every Moment, Every GenerationRT | FIFA W...
22/03/2026
Free updates now available
VSL have just released some free updates that add some existing features to a selection of libraries in their expansive Synchron ...
21/03/2026
Presented to War Child UK's HELP(2) project
The MPG (Music Producers Guild) have announced the launch of the MPG Impact Award, a brand-new honour that w...
21/03/2026
Microtuning support for Arabic, Persian & Turkish scales
The latest release from Best Service brings together a selection of string, wind and percussion ins...
20/03/2026
In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...
20/03/2026
BTS' long-awaited fifth studio album, ARIRANG, is finally here. To celebrate...
20/03/2026
A new era for Kenia Os has arrived, and Spotify marked the moment by putting fan...
20/03/2026
Una nueva era para Kenia Os ha llegado, y Spotify marc el momento poniendo a lo...
20/03/2026
Combines sampling & physical modelling
Sound Magic have announced the launch of a comprehensive virtual drum instrument that's been designed to cater to...
20/03/2026
How much difference should mastering make?
In our latest Mix Rescue feature, SOS Editor in Chief Sam Inglis revisits a project from back in 2019, carrying o...
20/03/2026
In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World Summit in London, where NAGRAVISION hosted a panel on content discovery and ...
20/03/2026
Dingle, Co. Kerry - Animation Dingle is delighted to announce that Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children's and Young People's Content at RT , will receive the...
20/03/2026
Friday 20 March 2026
Sky Extends Saturday Night Live UK Run to Eight Shows
Ahead of Saturday Night Live UK's launch tomorrow (March 21), Sky has confirmed...
20/03/2026
It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the qui...
19/03/2026
In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...
19/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
19/03/2026
New generative AI plug-in due in May 2026
Roland have announced the upcoming launch of a new generative AI tool created in collaboration with Sony Computer ...
19/03/2026
Nick Williams updates users on insolvency process
Nick Williams, the CEO of Native Instruments, has released the following official statement regarding thei...
19/03/2026
Iconic Swedish mic manufacturer back in action
Legendary Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab have announced that production is now fully underway, and mic...
19/03/2026
Acclaimed saturation unit goes virtual
Freqport's Freqtube FT1 (reviewed here in SOS February 2023) offers a convenient way to integrate real valve-base...
19/03/2026
The discontinuation of loss-making business activities as part of the restructur...
19/03/2026
Tubi Partners with TikTok to Offer Creators a Pathway to Develop Premium Long Fo...