YVA: Did The Ceremony Bend The Rules To Fight Vybz Kartel ?

Vybz Kartel got booted from this year’s Your View Awards (YVA). formally Youth View Awards



The Gazanation fans are in an uproar over the removal but Kartel will continue to get snub as long as he is behind bars, according to the eligibility rule changes. The annual Jamaican awards show has rebranded for this year from Youth View Award to Your View Award. With the rebranding comes new rules which is at the center of contentions between the YVA and Vybz Kartel’s fans.

To be eligible for nominations, artists must be able to perform at the event ceremony set for February 24. a rule that was recently put in place in correlation with the rebranding, Alkaline leads the 2018 YVA nomination with six nods including Hottest Summer Song (Red Eye), Favorite Local Male Artist, Favorite International Local Artist, Favorite Dancehall Artist, Favorite Chart Topper, Favorite Video Concept (Afterall), and Favorite Collaboration (“Gyalis Pro” featuring Sean Paul).

Alkaline finally has a shot at carrying home a few awards now.


Popcaan and Aidonia trail Alkaline with four nominations each. But one of the hottest deejays in dancehall over the past year, Vybz Kartel, did not get any nominations solely because of his incarcerations. Dancehall fans have mixed reactions to the boot while some believe that the YVA took the right step, (vendetta fans especially) while others are saying its a move to silence the incarcerated deejay.

“So they have to ban Vybz Kartel so that other artists like Alkaline can win such a shame on the YVA, what is an award show without the Worl’Boss, in an Addi voice,” one fan said. Another fan commented saying, “We all know that the YVA is a Gazanation award show because every year Kartel dominates even when other artists out a road a put in the work. So I guess them a try remove the bias now.” Kartel was the biggest winner at last year’s YVA awards.

We will be publishing the full list of nominees soon, subscribe to us for more details on the 2018 YVA awards show.