MUMBAI: Radio One, India's largest International format Radio Network in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore & home to the most popular International tracks is all set to go live with its next big property – ‘International Icon’. A one-of-its-kind international digital musical talent hunt show, the campaign will be targeted to the evolved, global Indians who have a strong connect with International music.

Radio One comes from the house of HT Media, one of India’s largest media companies. The brand has a rich legacy spanning more than nine decades with its footprints across print, digital, radio and education. The company’s flagship brand, Hindustan Times, an English Daily boasts a total readership of 8 million across India (TR, IRS Q4’19) & 200MN+ monthly PVs (Comscore data).

Radio One, HT Media’s International radio station, has truly emerged as India’s favourite global lifestyle destination owing to the wide variety and uniqueness of shows and content made available to the listeners. The brand associates with globally celebrated RJs like Ryan Seacrest & Late Casey Kasem; Bollywood celebs Ranveer Singh for `Get Some Sun’ and Rajeev Masand for `Platinum Class’; as well as brand associations with global brands and events makes it stand apart from the clutter and appeal to the modern, upscale Indians.

Staying true to its roots of “One World, Your Station”, Radio One has recently launched its exciting new campaign ‘International Icon’, offering a platform to the eruption of singing talent on the digital ecosystem. `International Icon’ will give the listeners of Radio One a chance to become online sensations by unleashing their hidden singing talents. The beauty of this property is that anyone can participate, straight from the comfort of their home without stepping out anywhere.

Radio One has enlisted Grammy Award winning Pop/Reggae/Dancehall music icon SHAGGY as the `Face’ and celeb mentor of the campaign, courtesy 9122 Records – the `Official Label Partner’ of `International Icon’. Notably, this is the first time an International artist & Grammy Award winner will mentor talent on an Indian singing talent show!

Ecstatic on his involvement with `International Icon’, the legendary Shaggy said, “I always received great love and support from my fans in India and am honoured to be the `Face’ and mentor of Radio One’s `International Icon’. I’ve always known there’s great vocal talent in India and am looking forward to checking out your entries. So, I encourage you to participate in the campaign and who knows, we could be jamming together soon!”.
Shaggy emerged in the early '90s as the biggest crossover success in dancehall / reggae music. Not only did he become the genre's most commercially potent artist in the international market, he managed to sustain a lasting career over the coming decade, thanks to widely popular albums like 1995's breakout `Boombastic’ and 2000's multi-platinum `Hot Shot’.

As the only diamond-selling dancehall/reggae artist in music history, Shaggy has sold 40 million albums and has amassed over 1.5 Billion streams worldwide throughout his career. He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best Reggae Album with Boombastic in 1996 and 44/876 with music icon, Sting in 2019. He has also landed eight singles on the Billboard Hot 100 - including the diamond hit single "It Wasn't Me" and platinum hits "Boombastic" and "Angel"- and seven albums on the Billboard 200 (including four in the top 40).
Shaggy is among the top 3 streamed reggae artists of all time on Spotify (along with Bob Marley & Sean Paul) and including his latest viral sensation, “Banana” with Conkarah, which has amassed over 1 billion streams worldwide, it has been four consecutive decades that Shaggy has had a massive hit!
Most recently, Shaggy dropped his new Christmas album titled ‘Christmas In The Islands’ (BMG) that is exclusively represented in India by Mumbai-based independent record label for International Music - 9122 Records. The quintessential reggae Christmas themed collection puts a Caribbean twist on traditional holiday cheer with 15 tracks of island-infused songs and features a host of guest artists including Joss Stone, Ne-Yo, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Rayvon, Conkarah, OMI and others.

The `International Icon’ campaign is now live on the Radio One, both on-air as well as across its social handles.