Apparently, hosts declaration is required.

playbooks/groups/badges-web.yml

@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 # NOTE: most of these vars come from group_vars/badges-web* or from hostvars
 
 - name: emit a fedmsg message that we are done
+  hosts: badges-web;badges-web-stg
+  user: root
+  gather_facts: False
   tasks:
   - local_action: fedmsg
                   cert_prefix="shell"
@@ -58,6 +61,9 @@
   - include: $handlers/restart_services.yml
 
 - name: emit a fedmsg message that we are done
+  hosts: badges-web;badges-web-stg
+  user: root
+  gather_facts: False
   tasks:
   - local_action: fedmsg
                   cert_prefix="shell"