I-Octane nominated 10 times for YVAs 2014 - Set to release sophomore album in March

Kingston Jamaica - Reggae/dancehall star I-Octane already has much to look forward to in 2014, and the New Year has barely even started to unfold.

Nominated 10 times in eight different categories for the upcoming Youth View Awards (YVAs), the Happy Time singer says, "It's always humbling and rewarding when people acknowledge your hard work. I'm honoured to be nominated in so many categories and I feel good to know that my music and style are connecting with the youth."

The categories that I-Octane has been nominated in for this year's Youth View Awards are Favourite Local Music Video for Happy Time; Favourite Cultural Artiste; Favourite Local Artiste of the Year - Male; Favourite Summer Song of 2013 for Happy Time; Favourite Music Collaboration of the Year for Double Trouble (featuring Bounty Killer); Favourite Music Collaboration of the Year for Lighters Up (featuring Alaine); Favourite Music Collaboration of the Year for It's a Celebration (alongside Ding Dong, Konshens and Chris Martin); Fashion Icon of the Year - Male; Celebrity Role Model of the Year; and Young, Hot & Hype Male of the Year.

Cultural Artiste of the Year

Last year, I-Octane won in the categories of Cultural Artiste of the Year and Role Model of the Year at the YVAs, and this year, his winnings are expected to be even greater. The YVAs take place on Saturday, February 1 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Another great achievement that Octane will also be looking forward to in a matter of months will be the release of his sophomore album titled My Journey, which is set to be released in March. But for Octane, the work does not stop there as he says, "the goal is always to work harder and surpass what I did in previous years."

And specifically for 2014, I-Octane says, "I want to push my album, My Journey, so that it becomes a staple of reggae music worldwide. I'm also working to solidify and expand my brand by coming up with new, unique ideas that can cross into different markets. Finally, 2014 will just be about continuing to make good music that raises the bar and contributes to reggae and dancehall."