By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Headies, Nigeria’s biggest music awards, is facing renewed criticism from past winners of a subsidiary event, Mic Check, over allegations that promised prizes have not been delivered years after they were announced on the awards stage.
The latest complaints have brought fresh attention to what appears to be a recurring problem for some winners, with artistes accusing the organisers of failing to fulfil prize commitments attached to their victories.
Mic Check is a subsidiary event organised by the Headies to reward upcoming artistes in the entertainment industry.
Singer Dorae recently called out the organisers of the Mic Check program, alleging that she was yet to receive the ₦1m prize attached to her 2023 Headies win.
Another artiste, Toiner, also claimed that he was still waiting for a ₦2m cash prize after winning an upcoming-artiste category in the Mic Check event.
He alleged that he had met Headies CEO, Ayo Animashaun, and provided his bank details after being asked to do so, but said his subsequent attempts to follow up were unsuccessful.
The latest complaints have revived memories of similar controversies involving some of the industry’s more established names.
In 2016, Mr Eazi won the Next Rated award, which traditionally comes with a car prize. Years later, he publicly complained that he had not received the promised vehicle.
The singer’s complaint became one of the most prominent instances of a Headies winner publicly questioning the fulfilment of a prize attached to the award.
More recently, Odumodublvck found himself in a similar situation after winning the Next Rated category at the 2024 Headies.
The rapper publicly questioned the whereabouts of the car he was expected to receive as part of his prize. His complaint came months after the ceremony, prompting renewed scrutiny of the award organisers.
The Headies subsequently responded that the car was “coming”, insisting that the artiste had not been forgotten.
While the circumstances surrounding the different cases vary, the complaints have created an uncomfortable pattern: winners celebrating major career milestones on the Headies stage, only to later return publicly to ask about prizes they say remain outstanding.
For an award that markets itself as a major platform for recognising and rewarding Nigerian musical talent, the recurring complaints raise questions beyond the value of the prizes themselves.
They also touch on the credibility of the promises made to artistes and the responsibility of award organisers to fulfil commitments once winners have been announced.
As of the latest reports, the Headies organisers had not publicly addressed the new allegations by Dorae and Toiner.
