“Dem Give Me Placard, No Money”: Singer Calls Out Headies Award Over Alleged Debt Since 2023
- Fast-rising Nigerian singer Dorae publicly accused the Headies Awards organisers of withholding her ₦1 million prize money since 2023
- Dorae shared a photo holding a novelty cheque for 'One Million Naira only' as Second Runner Up in the Headies Mic Check category
- Another artist backed the singer's claims, sharing that similar attempts to reach organisers had been repeatedly ignored
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Fast-rising Nigerian singer Dorae has gone public with accusations that the Headies Awards organisers have owed her ₦1 million in prize money for over three years, presenting her with a ceremonial cheque and placard but never actually paying the cash.
Taking to X on Friday, August 28, 2026, Dorae tagged the awards body directly and attached a photograph of herself clutching a large novelty cheque that read "Second Runner Up" and "One Million Naira only," bearing the branding of The Headies and its Mic Check talent initiative.
Source: Instagram
"@The_Headies has been owing me since 2023. Dem give me placard, dem no give me money…"
The post rapidly attracted tens of thousands of views, with Dorae also hinting in an earlier attached message that it was "a nice time to drag Hip TV", a broadcast platform closely linked to the production of The Headies, Nigeria's established music awards that have been running since 2006.
Another artist backs Dorae's claims about the Headies Awards organisers
Dorae was not alone in her frustration. A fellow recording artist responded to the post and described a strikingly similar experience, alleging that calls to organisers went unanswered, emails requesting formal explanations were ignored, and that anyone hoping to reach leadership in person was told they would need a scheduled appointment with the CEO.
"They keep coming up with excuses. They even asked me to send a detailed explanation via mail. They stopped picking calls, and responding to messages. If I go to their office they will say I have to have an appointment with their CEO to be able to access him."
The Headies Awards organisers had not issued any public statement addressing the allegation as of the time of this report.
Dorae turns attention to new music
In spite of the controversy, Dorae used the wave of public attention to spotlight her latest work.
In follow-up posts, she asked fans to push her track "Runaway" to one million streams and shared a link to the song, framing the moment as one to rally her growing fanbase.
Dorae describes her sound as "soul-reaching music," and the viral moment appears to have significantly expanded her visibility online.
Source: Instagram
Fans react to Dorae's post about the Headies Awards organisers
Here is what fans said about the situation:
@Talk2_Frankjay advised:
"You can actually institute a legal action and I kid you not that you could get more than this 1million from the @The_Headies"
@AtuanyaKene wrote:
"This is crazy, can't you sue them for that and more?"
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@vimval_ commented:
"And you close mouth since 2023…. If you keep mouth closed at the time it should always stay closed forever no come here dey cry for sympathy bs."
Gaise Baba calls out The Headies
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that gospel singer Gaise Baba called for a rethink of how gospel music is classified within Nigeria’s music industry.
The “No Turning Back” hitmaker has now called out The Headies, accusing the awards organisers of sidelining faith-based artistes and disrespecting their contributions.
Gaise Baba specifically criticised the 2024 ceremony, where he said the Inspirational Music category winner was not publicly announced or presented on stage.
Source: Legit.ng
