From Viral Audition to ₦30M Prize: TheGlobalPoet Becomes De9jaspirit Talent Hunt First Spoken Word Winner

By Ekpe Etuk

Excitement fills the air as TheGlobalPoet emerges first prize winner of De9jaspirit Talent Hunt Season 4. The show hosted 22 contestants, had 10 episodes, and featured a wide range of talents, came to an end with joy for many and mixed feelings for some. The show’s progress from episode 1 to the grand finale was filled with mind-blowing experiences from contortionists, singers, comedians, saxophonists, among others. Meanwhile, there were also evictions, stage battles (survival showdowns), votes, judgements, collaborations, and one disqualification.

TheGlobalPoet, Deborah Johnson, emerged first prize winner of De9jaspirit Talent Hunt Season 4, taking home a cash prize of 30 Million Naira. Deborah Johnson is 22 years old and hails from Delta State. She is a spoken word artist who hopes to use art as a means to create social change and tell African stories. TheGlobalPoet auditioned for DTH Season 3, however her auditioning was truncated by Dr Sid. The audition ended up being one of the most viral auditions from DTH. Fortunately, she auditioned last year and was finally picked for Season 4. With a relentless spirit, she went from episode 1 to the grand finale showcasing herself as a fearless poet who was always concerned about delivering powerful messages on critical issues like racism, gender-based violence, and terrorism. She was fearless on stage. In episode 1, TheGlobalPoet was awarded Best Performance of the week for her outstanding performance on issues such as racism, tribalism, and insecurity. In episode 3, TheGlobalPoet + Team Unbeatable Dance Crew emerged won the Best Weekly Performance Award for their collabo performance on drug abuse which fused poetry and dance to create a vivid imagery of the effects of drug abuse. On the other hand, her soldier-lover collaboration performance with Paskal pulled 2.9 million views on TikTok and 1.5 million views on Facebook. Meanwhile, their stage battle (survival showdown) earned 1.1 million views on TikTok and 1.5 million views on Facebook. In Week 7, the TheGlobalPoet & Paskal viral collaboration performance garnered an impressive 8.7 million views on their collaborative post on Instagram. Throughout the show, TheGlobalPoet remained consistent in delivering powerful messages that shared the concerns of Nigerians and womanhood.

Jeremiahfj Sax, Jeremiah Oluwajenyo from Lagos State, emerged first runner-up of De9jaspirit Talent Hunt Season 4. Throughout the show, the 13-year old proved to be an outstanding saxophonist whose flexibility enables him to perform any song of his choice. The 3 times winner of the Best Weekly Performance Award presented multiple classics on stage, from Victor Uwaifo’s Joromi and Guitar Boy to Lagbaja’s Nothing For You, as well as other songs by Rema. Jeremiah emerged winner, Best Weekly Performance Award for episode 4, 5, and 8, earning millions of views. His gospel and hiphop performances gained over 3.8 million views and 2.4 million views respectively, while his Lagbaja song performance pulled over 1.1 million views on TikTok. The young Jeremiah is a promising young talent that will obviously go places.

The visually challenged singer and keyboardist, Chris Vic (Christian Victor Eshiet), emerged second runner-up in De9jaspirit Talent Hunt Season 4. Chris Vic is 22 years old and hails from Eket, Akwa Ibom State. He is reputable for his emotional and angelic voice and seems to always sing from the deepest parts of his soul. It was a truly special moment in episode 6, themed High Voltage, when Chris Vic stepped on stage and captivated the audience with a gospel song that inspired the audience. Chris Vic’s performances earned some of the highest views in the show. His collabo performance with Team Unbeatable DC earned over 12 million views, 1.8 million likes on TikTok, and 1.8 million views on Facebook. His worship song rendition earned 3 million views, while his collabo performance with Glory Henry and Paskal gained over 1.1 million views on Facebook. Chris Vic possesses the true Nigerian spirit because of his ability to overcome his challenges and progress through the show from the audition stage to his emergence and second runner-up.

Unlike in previous editions where contestants had to pay registration fee to be part of the audition, DTH abolished the payment method of registration in Season 4. In replacement, a Campus Tour was instituted to foster a more inclusive participation. Individuals who aspired to participate in the show had to tag DTH to their one-minute performance video on social media. The best performers were invited to participate in their campuses, ensuring an open and indiscriminate audition process that led to the emergence of the 22 contestants.

From Season 1 to Season 4, De9jaspirit Talent Hunt has played a crucial role in transforming the Nigerian entertainment industry. With its idea of featuring multiple stage talents, DTH has not only been consistent in bringing hidden talents to limelight, it also transformed raw talents into performances that excite millions of Nigerians and Africans at large. We are talking about your having to experience electrifying truths from spoken word poets, amazing body movements from contortionists, melodies from singers, musicians and so on. Hence, every episode determined who got evicted and who stayed. While this was an entertainment show, its impact on Nigerian youths and the nation is huge.

De9jaspirit Talent Hunt Season 4 is the latest example of DTH’s impact on Nigerian youths, including budding talents like the skilled 13-year-old saxophonist, Jeremiahfj Sax and the 7-year-old super-flexible contortionist, Body Engine, who both stole the show with amazing performances that garnered millions of views across all DTH social media platforms. Their performances not only motivate young Nigerian talents, it also boosts their self-confidence at a professional level, giving them an excellent start at a very young age. DTH has always been the right platform for budding talents. The 6-year old Little Princess Annabel & Her Crew, Exoduz Dance Crew, whose performance was shared by international superstars like Diamond Platinumz and Hollywood actress Taraji P. Henson, gaining over 11 million views.

Another notable impact of DTH is the exposure and visibility it brings to talented youths. DTH makes it possible for talented youths who may never have been known outside their streets or communities to be seen and cheered by millions of people across the globe. This visibility has two functions. Firstly, it exposes a talented youth to millions of viewers, and secondly, it boosts the Nigerian creative industry. As such, it empowers Nigerian youths to be committed to talent development as they anticipate forthcoming editions of De9jaspirit Talent Hunt.

Additionally, Season 4 gained massive attention from local and international blogs. Viral performances were reposted by top platforms such as Tundeednut, Wahalaroom, Kraktv, and Yabaleftonline. Entertainment industry veterans also joined the wave — including award-winning filmmaker Muyiwa Ademola, whose Instagram repost of Chris Vic and Team Unbeatable DC amassed over 1.5 million views. Don Jazzy’s collaboration post with TheGlobalPoet further amplified the show’s reach, earning over 1.9 million views on Instagram and cementing DTH Season 4 as a cultural moment of global resonance.

The exposure and visibility a Nigerian youth gains by participating in De9jaspirit Talent Hunt serves as a catalyst for unimaginable opportunities. This means that participating in DTH boosts the chances of being contacted for collaborations, brand signings and so on. It could also mean the opportunity to build on the professionalism and visibility gained through DTH. In the general sense, professional experience can enable the confidence to take one’s talent to the international level or to the next level of growth. Season 1 winner, Constance Olatunde and Season 2 winner, Esther Ugochi Kalu are important examples in this regard because they recorded multiple tracks after emerging first prize winners.

The emergence of TheGlobalPoet, Jeremiahfj Sax, and Chris Vic, are not completely personal, they motivate thousands of Nigerian youths to take their talents from the street party level to the global stage. Similarly, DTH Season 4 also impacts the way parents, guardians, and teachers approach talent development. In this sense, young talents like the Little Princess Anabel, the 13-year-old Jeremiahfj Sax, and Body Engine, the 7-year-old contortionist can be guided to develop their talent with the aim of contesting in forthcoming editions.

De9jaspirit Talent Hunt is instituted as not only a talent show but a major booster of Nigeria’s creative industry. It not only gives visibility to raw talents, it transforms raw talents into an entertainment of international repute. The end of Season 4 is not the end of DTH. As such, we eagerly anticipate another edition of this interesting show as we encourage our children, families, and friends to see DTH as a life-changing opportunity.