New York, NY (August 6, 2007) – Nominations for the Ninth Annual Native American Music Awards were announced this week by The Native American Music Awards & Association (N.A.M.A). The award ceremony will be held Saturday October 6, 2007 at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York.
Due to a record number of recording submissions received in the past year, the Awards have expanded both its number of categories from 26 to 30 and from five to six nominees in each category. This year, 180 nominees are featured throughout 30 music Award categories.
Topping this year’s nominations are; Brule’ and AIRO featuring Paul LaRoche (Lakota) with five nominations for Kinship and Silent Star Night, Jim Boyd Band (Colville) for Live At Two Rivers, Jana (Lumbee) for An American Indian Story, and new artist Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne) for Out of the Ashes all with four nods each. Arigon Starr, JSK, Pipestone, Susan Aglukark, Tamara Podemski and Arvel Bird have three each, and Brian Hammill, Corn-Bred, Donna Kay, Douglas Blue Feather, Evren Ozan, Exit Wound, Night Shield, Jamie Coon, Jan Michael Looking Wolf, John Two-Hawks and Bastiaan, Keith Secola & Karen Drift, Mary Youngblood, Michael Bucher, Michael Jacobs, Peter Buffett & Chief Hawk Pope, Radmilla Cody, Raven Hernandez, Robert Mirabal, Robert Tree Cody, Talibah Begay, Thoz Womenz, Tonemah, Wade Fernandez and Women of Wabano have earned two nominations each.
“This is an absolutely incredible assemblage of professional artists and talent that have exceeded our expectations for this year and truly are the best of the best. These outstanding music initiatives are reflecting the tremendous growth and artistic expressions taking place within our genre and in our communities not only here in the United States but also from other parts of the world including; Canada, South America and Australia,” states Ellen Bello, Founder/CEO of the Native American Music Awards. “The Ninth Annual Awards show will be nothing less than a monumentally magnificent show”. The Ninth Annual Native American Music Awards will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at the Seneca Niagara Casino Events Center and will be broadcast on the new MHZ Networks in November 2007.
A. ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Arvel Bird “Animal Totems 2”
2. Douglas Blue Feather “Heal The Earth”
3. Jana “American Indian Story”
4. Mary Youngblood “Dance with the Wind”
5. Paul LaRoche “Kinship”
6. Wade Fernandez “4 The People”
B. BEST BLUES JAZZ RECORDING
1. Blue Dog “A Little White Lie”
2. Corn-Bred “Corn-Bred ”
3. Cocoa Creppel & Cannes Brulees “Raising Cane”
4. Slidin’ Clyde Roulette Band “Let’s Take A Ride”
5. South Thunderbird “Tough Go”
6. The Plateros “The Plateros”
C. BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
1. “20 Aboriginal Hits” Various
2. “Heart of the Navajo Land” Various
3. “Cultural Legacy: Traditional Music from Ecuador & Bolivia ” Various
4. “Starblanket Soundtrack” Various
5. “Together We Sing In Beauty Vol II” Various
6. “Winter Solstice-Save The Peaks” Various
D. DEBUT ARTIST
1. Donna Kay “The Journey”
2. Exit Wound “The Native Axeman Cometh”
3. Jamie Coon “Everything So Far ”
4. JSK “Smoke Signals
5. Michael Bucher “Seven”
6. Shelley Morningsong “Out of the Ashes”
E. DEBUT DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Black Raven “First Flight”
2. Corn-Bred “Corn-Bred”
3. Digging Roots “Seeds”
4. Native Era “Where We Are”
5. Tim Yett & Jan Michael Looking Wolf “Breath Maker ”
6. Women of Wabano “Voices”
F. BEST FEMALE ARTIST
1. Arigon Starr “The Red Road”
2. Radmilla Cody “Precious Friends: Songs for Children”
3. Shelley Morningsong “Out of the Ashes”
4. Susan Aglukark “Blood Red Earth ”
5. Talibah Begay “Talibah Traditional Songs”
6. Tamara Podemski “Tamara ”
G. BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
1. “A Tribute To Johnny Cash ” Floyd Red Crow Westerman
2. “Been Awhile” Ray Villebrun & Red Blaze
3. “Give Me a Sign ” W.T. Goodspirit
4. “Out of This World” New Harvest
5. “The Red Road” Arigon Starr
6. “Time Waits for No One” Pima Express
H. BEST FOLK RECORDING
1. “America” Yolanda Martinez
2. “Miyoskamin” Art Napoleon
3. “Seven” Michael Bucher
4. “Touchwood Hills ” Shakti Hayes
5. “Welcome To Your Rainy Day” Tonemah
6. ”Torn from the Heart – The Journey” David Nighteagle
I. FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Evren Ozan “Alluvia”
2. Jan Michael Looking Wolf “Tribute to the Flute Makers ”
3. John Two-Hawks “ Come to the Fire”
4. Robert Tree Cody “Heart of the Wind”
5. Sakoieta’ Widrick “Return To The Waters”
6. Tommy Wildcat “Cherokee Flutes”
J. BEST GOSPEL OR INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
1. “Comfort & Joy” Cherokee National Youth Choir
2. “Keep The Faith” Jim Felix
3. “Rhythm Spirit of Native Life” Johnny P Curtis
4. “Spirit Whisper” Living Stone
5. “The Worship of Angels” Dawn Karima Pettigrew
6. “Visionary” Visionary
K. DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Arvel Bird & One Nation “Arvel Bird & One Nation”
2. Brule’ & AIRO “Silent Star Night”
3. Jim Boyd Band “ Live At Two Rivers”
4. Northern Cree “ Stay Red”
5. Pipestone “ Good Ol’ Fashioned NDN Lovin’"
6. Primeaux & Mike “The Voice Within”
L. BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING
1. “American Indian Story” Jana
2. “Anishinabemoin” Keith Secola & Karen Drift
3. “As Long As I Can See The Light” Joe Tohonnie Jr.
4. “Ceremonial Songs From Oklahoma” Perry Botone Jr, O.J. LittleCook, Stephen LittleCook
5. “Cherokee Language Preservation” Thoz Womenz
6. “ Remember Me, Grandfather: Lakota Pipe & Ceremonial Songs” Wahancanka
M. BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
1. “Alluvia” Evren Ozan
2. “Healing Winds” Ohwihsha
3. “Indian Summer” Redheart
4. “Silent Star Night” Brule’ & AIRO
5. “The Native Axeman Cometh” Exit Wound
6. ”Thoughts” Viento De Los Andes
N. BEST MALE ARTIST
1. Eli Secody “Rhythm of a Songmaker”
2. Gabriel Night Shield “The Total Package”
3. Jay Begaye “ The Colorful World”
4. Michael Jacobs “The Journey”
5. Raven Hernandez “Ceremony”
6. Robert Mirabal “Pueblo Christmas”
O. BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
1. “In Loving Memory” Meewasin Oma
2. “Morning Blessings” Denise Becenti
3. “Native American Church Songs” Shane Patterson
4. “ Voice of a Dakota” Gerald Primeaux, Sr
5. “Wikiwam Ahsin” Whitehawk & Crowe
6. “With Love & Faith We Pray” Brian Stoner
P. BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
1. “Ananeah” Arvel Bird, William Eaton, Mary Redhouse, Will Clipman
2. “ Heart of the Wind” Robert Tree Cody & Will Clipman
3. “Kinship” Brule’
4. “ Reconnections” R. Carlos Nakai
5. “Reflections” Brian Hammill
6. “Under A Lavender Moon” Echo Greywolf
Q. BEST POP RECORDING
1. “American Indian Story” Jana
2. “Blood Red Earth” Susan Aglukark
3. “Do U Wanna Dance” Jay Nez
4. “Everything So Far” Jamie Coon
5. “Out of the Ashes” Shelley Morningsong
6. “The Journey” Michael Jacobs
R. BEST ROCK RECORDING
1. “4 The People” Wade Fernandez
2. “Ceremony” Raven Hernandez
3. “Crazy Woman Mountain” Gary Small & The Coyote Bros
4. “Life Is…” Eagle & Hawk
5. “Live At Two Rivers” Jim Boyd Band
6. “Native To This Country” Tiger Tiger
S. BEST POW WOW RECORDING
1. “A Soldier’s Dream” Elk Soldier
2. “A Time For Change” Blackstone
3. “In Memory of Perry Lee Botone” Yellow Hammer
4. “ Long Winter Nights” Northern Cree & Friends
5. “Voice of the Drum” Black Eagle
6. “We Sing For You” Medicine Tail
T. BEST PRODUCER
1. MSR/Gale Revilla “Whispering Winds On The Red Road”
2. Kelly Parker “In Loving Memory”
3. Marc Cary “Focus”
4. Stephan Galfas & Alex Salzman “American Indian Story”
5. Stephen Butler “Reconnections”
6. Tom Bee “Voice of the Drum”
U. BEST RAP/HIP HOP RECORDING
1. “Blow Tha Track Out” Tha Birds of Prey
2. ”Contents Under Pressure” The A.I.M. Fea Blue Eagle
3. “Sarah Hindsley” Sarah Hindsley
4. “Smoke Signals” JSK
5. “The Total Package” Night Shield
6. “Worldwide” Rollin Fox
V. RECORD OF THE YEAR
1. “Dance with the Wind” Mary Youngblood
2. “ Good Ol’ Fashioned NDN Lovin’’” Pipestone
3. “ Heal The Earth” Douglas Blue Feather
4. “Out of the Ashes” Shelley Morningsong
5. “ Pueblo Christmas” Robert Mirabal
6. “ Silent Star Night Brule’ & AIRO
W. SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
1. ‘Have Hope’ Jennifer Kreisberg
2. ‘Inchelium’ Jim Boyd Band
3. ‘Meegwetch’ Tamara Podemski
4. ‘Mother Earth’ Arvel Bird & One Nation
5. ‘Spirit of One’ Jana
6. ‘Wasteland’ Gil Silverbird
X. BEST LINGUISTIC RECORDING
1. “Anishinabemoin” Keith Secola & Karen Drift
2. “Cherokee Language Preservation” Thoz Womenz
3. “HAWK Reloaded: Honoring Ancient Wisdom & Knowledge” Victoria Gardner & RISE Students
4. “Lizard Tracks” Allenroy Paquin
5. “Precious Friends: Songs for Children” Radmilla Cody
6. “Rarennenhá:wi” Teddy & Eddy
Y. BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
1. “Ami Nicimos” Red Bull
2. “Dancers of Mother Earth” Todi Neesh Zhee Singers
3. “Good Ol’ Fashioned NDN Lovin’” Pipestone
4. “Talibah Traditional Songs” Talibah Begay
5. “Voices” Women of Wabano
6. “Where Were You When I Was Single? Old-Time Sheepherder Songs” Blackhorse Mitchell
Z. SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
1. Aaron White “Blue Stone”
2. Arigon Starr “The Red Road”
3. Brad Clonch “Finding Windsong”
4. Glen Ahhaitty “True Lies From The Road”
5. Jimmy Lee Young “Anduhyaun”
6. Tonemah “Welcome To Your Rainy Day”
AA. BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO/DVD
1. “Bumpy Roads” Shadowyze
2. “I Will Return” Susan Aglukark
3. “Inchelium” Jim Boyd
4. “Meegwetch” Tamara Podemski
5. “Round Round Round” Donna Kay
6. “Smoke Signals” JSK
BB. BEST LONG FORM VIDEO/DVD
1. “Formations of Life: Today’s Story of the Hoop Dance” Brian Hammill
2. “Introduction & Techniques of the Native American Flute” Jan Michael Looking Wolf
3. “Spirit – The Seventh Fire” Peter Buffett, Chief Hawk Pope
4. “Starblanket: A Spirit Journey” Noel Starblanket
5. “The Blood Cries Out” Ronald Roybal
6. “The Trail of Tears Cherokee Legacy” Rich Heape Films
CC. BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
1. “Cultural Legacy: Traditional Music from Ecuador & Bolivia”
2. “Flutes, Drums & Guitars” Spirit Wing
3. “Soul Force” Moontee Sinquah
4. “Spirit Journey” Carroll Medicine Crow
5. “Thoughts” Viento de los Andes
6. ”Touch The Wind” John Two-Hawks and Bastiaan
DD. NATIVE HEART
1. Amo Chip Dabney “Beyond Words”
2. Daniel Hicks “First Flight”
3. David Claude Rogers “Songs of Joy & Comfort”
4. Peter Buffett “Spirit – The Seventh Fire”
5. Peter Phippen “Shadows of Dawn”
6. E. Cabezudo, J. Parodi, J. Juarez, The Whisper “Kokopelli’s Soul”
All nominees were voted upon by N.A.M.A.’s national Advisory membership and were selected among an impressive collection of over 200 national contemporary and traditional music recordings submitted for nomination consideration earlier this year. Winners of the Ninth Annual Native American Music Awards will be determined through N.A.M.A. membership print ballots and an online national voting campaign open to the general public through a listen and vote system posted on the Awards website.
The Native American Music Awards, Inc. is the country’s leading membership-based Native American music association composed of industry professionals, musicians, programmers, producers, engineers and other professionals dedicated to promoting and preserving Native American music throughout the United States and around the world.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
