British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has admitted that despite being a male solo artist, he refuses to fit the typical mold and instead continues to strive to be himself in the music industry.

Sheeran told the New York Daily News that he is still marching to the beat of his own drum: "It’s important to always be yourself because no one can do you better than you. So the way to stay unique is just embrace all the odd quirks you have.”

Idolator's editor, Sam Lansky, told the newspaper that it's only a matter of time before the flame-haired singer-songwriter moves into the American mainstream market: "He has a cult following, but he's not a household name yet. His fans are as passionate as Justin Bieber’s or One Direction’s, but he hasn't broken through to the mainstream. He’s not as focused on cultivating a manicured image and cult of celebrity."

Sheeran, meanwhile, has been nominated for 2 GRAMMY Awards and tweeted about the honour, writing: "Got nominated for best new artist at the Grammys. Awesome sauce. Very happy right now. Oh, apparently I got 2 nominations. Super sweet wicked awesome."