Fourteenth Annual Native American Music Awards Announce Nominees

The 14th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) announced today the nominees for this year. The nominees reflect the combined votes of the NAMA Advisory Board Membership Nominating Committee. The NAMA music awards celebrate the music of the American Indian nations, also known as Native Americans in the United Sates and Aboriginal or First Nations in Canada.

General Public voting is now open on the Awards website. Winners will be announced at the 14th Annual Native American Music Awards which will be held on Friday, May 10th, 2013 at the Seneca Entertainment Center in the Seneca Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York.

Both new and established artists share the list of nominations throughout a diverse selection of 35 music categories spanning all genres.

Public voting to determine the winner of each category is open to the general public. Music tracks from all nominees are featured on the Awards’ website.

Artist Of The Year

Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne) – Hostiles & Renegades
Jana Mashonee (Lumbee) – Stay With Me Baby
Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida) – Lifegivers
Joseph FireCrow (Northern Cheyenne) – Night Walk
Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa) – Earth Warrior
Tony Redhouse (Navajo) – Release

Best Blues Recording

Compilation – Marc Brown & The Blues Crew
Dancing In The Rain – Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee)
Sing It Louder – Cary Morin (Crow)
Songs Lived & Life Played – Murray Porter (Mohawk)
Soul Left Blind – Smokestack Lightning (Tohono O’odham)
Up From The Ashes – Mitch Walking Elk (Cheyenne/ Arapaho)

Best Compilation Recording

A Tribute To Our Heros – Various Artists
Healing Winds – Various Artists
Native Circle Touch The Earth Festival – Various Artists
The Longest Walk: Reversing Diabetes –– Lorena Windfeather Navarez
The Meherrin-Chowanoke Project – Various Artists (Various)
Written In Blood – Various Artists

Best Country Recording

Ali Fontaine – Ali Fontaine (Ojibway)
Do It Anyway – John McLeod (Cree)
Living For the Sunny Days – Jim Boyd (Colville)
Forever – C-Weed Band (Metis)
Still No Good The John Redcorn Experience – Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee)
The Foundation of Who I Am – Duster (Cowessess)

Debut Artist Of The Year

Emmanuel Black Bear (Lakota) – Memories
Lena Recollet (Odawa/Ojibway/Pottawatami) – I Am Woman, Kwe
Ryan Little Eagle Molina (Lakota) – Straight From The Heart
Sinuupa (Inuit) – Culture Shock
Smoke/ RedHeadz (Yanktonai Sioux) – Smoke Native Amerikaz Most Wanted
Terry Strongheart (Cherokee) – Tears

Debut Duo Or Group Of Year

Big River Cree (Plains Cree) – The Old Way
Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham) – A Joyful Defiant Tone
Frank Waln & Cody Blackbird (Rosebud Sioux) – Hear My Cry
Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker (Creek/Cherokee/Cree) – The Desire of Nations
Painted Raven (Cherokee/Choctaw) – Mirage
Polar Nation (Lenape/Cherokee) – Polar Nation

Best Female Artist

Ali Fontaine (Ojibway) – Ali Fontaine
Fawn Wood (Cree) – Iskewewak: Songs of Indigenous Womanhood
Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau) – Spirit of a Woman or Callie Benett (Navajo) – Glorify
Radmilla Cody (Dine’) – Shi Keyah – Songs For The People
Terri-Lynn (Haida Nation) – New Journeys
Theresa Bearfox (Mohawk) – Tsionathonwisen

Best Folk/Americana Recording

D.R.U.M. – Wind Spirit Drum (Mic Mac/Lenapa/Cherokee)
Michael Bucher – Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
One Shot – Josh Halverson (Mdewakanton Dakota)
Reach Within – Howard Lyons (Mohawk)
Spirit of a Woman – Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau)
The She Wolf – Jimmy Lee Young (Maya)

Best Flute Recording

Bryson Meyers (Chippewa/Cree) – White Elk Music Sounds of Heavan & Earth
Douglas Blue Feather (Cherokee) – Flute Medicine
Joseph FireCrow (Northern Cheyenne) – Night Walk
Ryan Little Eagle Molina (Lakota) – Straight From The Heart
Terry Lee Whetstone (Cherokee) – Peace 2 Love
Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa) – Earth Warrior

Best Gospel/Inspirational Recording

A’BA – Cheryl Bear (Dene/Nadleh Whut’em)
Glorify – Callie Benett (Navajo)
Rain Holy Spirit Rain – Yvonne St. Germaine (Cree)
Simple Things of Life – Stan Summers (Paiute/Miwok)
The Desire of Nations – Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker (Creek/Cherokee/Cree)
On The Silent Night – Sayani (Cherokee)

Group Of The Year

Big City Indians (Navajo) – Tuwa
Bluedog (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) – Just Living The Blues
Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee) – Dancing In The Rain
Nake Nula Waun (Rosebud Sioux) – The Definition
Pipestone (Ojibwe) – Tribute To The Old Timers
Tha Tribe (Various) – Warriors in the Mist

Historical / Linguistic Recording

Celebrate – Kalan Wi (Salish)
Deers R Us – Deer Clan Singers (Tuscarora)
New Journeys – Terri-Lynn (Haida Nation)
Preserving The Hertiage: Insights & Songs – Kevin Locke (Lakota/Anishinabe)
Spirit of a Woman – Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau)
Tali – SilverWolf: AdelaunegvWaya (Cherokee)

Best Instrumental Recording

Native Colors: Homeland Nation Soundtrack – Rickey Medlocke (Lakota/Choctaw)
North West Voyage – Metis Fiddler Quartet (Metis)
Open Your Heart – Mark ThunderWolf (Lakota/Eastern Band of Cherokee)
String Theory – Joseph Strider (Apache)
Tribal Fusion – Cal Silverfox (Apache)
Wind Dreamer – Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Grand Ronde)

Best Male Artist

Cheevers Toppah (Kiowa/Navajo) – True Melodies Harmonized Songs From The Heart of Native America
JJ Kent (Oglala Lakota) – Owayanka Wastelo
Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Grand Ronde) – Wind Dreamer
Jim Boyd (Colville) – Living For The Sunny Days
Terry Lee Whetstone (Cherokee) – Peace 2 Love
Wayne Silas Jr (Oneida) – True Round Dance Songs

Best New Age Recording

Among The Ancients – Rushingwind & Mucklow (Cahuilla)
Earth Songs – Douglas Blue Feather & Danny Voris (Cherokee)
Journey – Gvwi (Cherokee)
Medicine Crow & The Sandhill Band – Carroll Medicine Crow (Lenape/Cherokee) & Aki Red Bird
Release – Tony Redhouse (Navajo)
Walking From The Roots – Coyote Jump (Mescalero Apache)

Best Pop Recording

DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers – Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor (Mashpee Wampanoag)
Indian E – CC Murdock (Shoshone/Paiute)
Sean Michael Perry & Only The Brave – Sean Michael Perry (Salish/Myan)
Stay With Me Baby – Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
Supernation – Vince Fontaine’s Indian City (Ojibway)
The Art of Peace – Michael Jacobs (Cherokee)

Best Pow Wow Recording

The Old Way – Big River Cree (Plains Cree)
Drum Boy – Mistikwaskihk Napesis – Northern Cree (various)
Horse Dance – Mistation Simoowin – Cree Confederation (Cree)
Memories – Emmanuel Black Bear (Lakota)
Tribute To The Old Timers – Pipestone (Ojibwe)
Warriors in the Mist – Tha Tribe (Various)

Best Producer

Francois Couture – Yahndawa’
Gabriel Yaiva– Written In Blood
John Avila – Sean Michael Perry & Only The Brave
Kelly Parker – The Old Way
Peter Blackwell – Homeland Nation Soundtrack
Stefan Galfas – Stay With Me Baby

Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording

Alienated – Chase Manhattan (Muscogee Creek/Leech Lake Ojibwe)
B of Dakota South Records – B of Dakota South Records (Yankton Sioux)
Love Me Down – Ralphael Deas (Apache)
Smoke Native Amerikaz Most Wanted – Smoke/RedHeadz (Yanktonai Sioux)
The Definition – Nake Nula Waun (Rosebud Sioux)
Trouble – Tha Native (San Manuel)

Record Of The Year

Earth Warrior – Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa)
Lifegivers – Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida)
Shi Keyah – Songs For The People – Radmilla Cody (Dine’)
Spirit of a Woman – Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau)
Supernation – Vince Fontaine’s Indian City (Ojibway)
Tribute To The Old Timers – Pipestone (Ojibwe)

Best Rock Recording

A Joyful Defiant Tone – Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham)
Find My Way – Saving Damsels (Navajo & Hopi)
Just Living The Blues – Bluedog (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate)
Forty Years – Original Xit Ox Boyz (Yazzie/Navajo)
The Joint Effect – The Joint Effect (Muscogee/Seminole/Cherokee)
Wrong Side of Salvation – Arcane Belief

Song/Single Of The Year

Every Rez! – Johnny Oberly (Eastern Shashone)
God Bless The Whole World – Michael Jacobs (Cherokee
Hear My Cry – Frank Waln & Cody Blackbird (Rosebud Sioux)
Lac du Flambeau Reservation – Bobby Bullet (Lac du Flambeau)
Rez Bluez – Murray Porter (Mohawk)
Stay With Me Baby – Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)

Songwriter Of The Year

Ali Fontaine (Ojibway) – Ali Fontaine
Cheryl Bear (Nadleh Whut’em) – A’BA
John McLeod (Cree) – Do It Anyway
Leon Skyhorse (Navajo) – Lost Tapes
Peter Sackaney (Constance Lake) – Where Love Belongs
Tash Terry & Elena Higgins (Navajo &Maori) – Grandmother Earth Grandfather Sky

Best Spoken Word Recording

6 Directions – Janet Rogers (Mohawk)
Got Your Back – Janet Rogers and Alex Jacobs (Mohawk)
I Am Woman, Kwe – Lena Recollect (Odawa/Ojibway/Pottawatami)
I Know This Man – The Sampson Bros (Seneca)
Long Long Ago – The Story Tellers (Abenaki)
Preserving The Hertiage: Insights & Songs – Kevin Locke (Lakota/Anishinabe)

Best Traditional Recording

Eastern Wind, Northern Lights – James Stephenson (Plains Cree)
Emotions – Randall Paskemin (Cree)
It’s A Love/Hate Thing – Dearly & Denny (Lakota Sioux/Menominee)
Shi Keyah – Songs For The People – Radmilla Cody (Dine’)
Tsionathonwisen – Theresa Bearfox (Mohawk)
Warfield Moose – Warfield Moose Jr (Lakota)

Best Short Form Music Video

A Tribute To Our Heros – CC Murdock
Do It Anyway – John McLeod (Cree)
Horses Thunder – Big City Indians
It’s About Time– Shane Yellowbird (Samson Cree)
Polar Nation – Polar Nation (Lenape/Cherokee)
Trouble – Tha Native (San Manuel)”

Best Long Form Music Video

Desert Woman- Yolanda Martinez (Apache)
Frank Waln Common Man Nake Nula Waun – Randy Eriksen Films
Homeland Nation (Various) – Rickey Medlocke
Sacred Ground Extended – Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
The Making Of A Joyful Defiant Tone – Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham)
Wicohan – Cody Blackbird (Cherokee)

Best Waila Recording

In Loving Memory – T.O. Combo (Tohonor O’odham)
Chapter Four – Juanios Boys & Familia (Tohono O’odham)
Lession 1 – Mumsigo Tribe (Tohono O’odham)
Musicians In Harmony – Gertie & The T.O. Boyz (Tohono O’odham)
Soul Left Blind – Smokestack Lightning (Tohono O’odham)
With All Our Love…Catherine Conde – Carl & Buddies (Tohono O’odham)

Best World Music Recording

Celebrate – Kalan Wi (Salish)
Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen – One Nation (Algonquin)
Hostiles & Renegades – Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne)
Tuwa – Big City Indians (Navajo)
Written in Blood – Casper Loma Dawa/Various
Yahndawa’ – Andree Levesque Sioui, Akienda Laine, Franceis Couture (Huron)

Native Heart

Michael Longrider – Endless Time
John Two Flutes Fields – Creekside
Scott Tweedie – Opening Sound
Steven Graves – Matter of Time
Sybille Hummingbird – Serenity
Terry Frazier – The Awakenin

List Of Nominated Recordings:

6 Directions – Janet Rogers (Mohawk)
A Joyful Defiant Tone – Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham)
A Tribute To Our Heros – Various Artists
A’BA – Cheryl Bear (Dene/Nadleh Whut’em)
Ali Fontaine – Ali Fontaine (Ojibway)
Alienated – Chase Manhattan (Muscogee Creek/Leech Lake Ojibwe)
Among The Ancients – Rushingwind & Mucklow (Cahuilla)
B of Dakota South Records – B of Dakota South Records (Yankton Sioux)
Celebrate – Kalan Wi (Salish)
Chapter Four – Juanios Boys & Familia (Tohono O’odham)
Compilation – Marc Brown & The Blues Crew
D.R.U.M. – Wind Spirit Drum (Mic Mac/Lenapa/Cherokee)
Dancing In The Rain – Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee)
DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers – Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor (Mashpee Wampanoag)
Deers R Us – Deer Clan Singers (Tuscarora)
Do It Anyway – John McLeod (Cree)
Drum Boy – Mistikwaskihk Napesis – Northern Cree (various)
Earth Songs – Douglas Blue Feather & Danny Voris (Cherokee)
Earth Warrior – Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa)
Eastern Wind, Northern Lights – James Stephenson (Plains Cree)
Emotions – Randall Paskemin (Cree)
Every Rez! – Johnny Oberly (Eastern Shashone)
Find My Way – Saving Damsels (Navajo & Hopi)
Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen – One Nation (Algonquin)
Forever – C-Weed Band (Metis)
Forty Years – Original Xit Ox Boyz (Yazzie/Navajo)
Glorify – Callie Benett (Navajo)
God Bless The Whole World – Michael Jacobs (Cherokee
Got Your Back – Janet Rogers and Alex Jacobs (Mohawk)
Healing Winds – Various Artists
Hear My Cry – Frank Waln & Cody Blackbird (Rosebud Sioux)
Horse Dance – Mistation Simoowin – Cree Confederation (Cree)
Hostiles & Renegades – Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne)
I Am Woman, Kwe – Lena Recollect (Odawa/Ojibway/Pottawatami)
I Know This Man – The Sampson Bros (Seneca)
In Loving Memory – T.O. Combo (Tohonor O’odham)
Indian E – CC Murdock (Shoshone/Paiute)
It’s A Love/Hate Thing – Dearly & Denny (Lakota Sioux/Menominee)
Journey – Gvwi (Cherokee)
Just Living The Blues – Bluedog (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate)
Lac du Flambeau Reservation – Bobby Bullet (Lac du Flambeau)
Lession 1 – Mumsigo Tribe (Tohono O’odham)
Lifegivers – Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida)
Living For the Sunny Days – Jim Boyd (Colville)
Long Long Ago – The Story Tellers (Abenaki)
Love Me Down – Ralphael Deas (Apache)
Medicine Crow & The Sandhill Band – Carroll Medicine Crow (Lenape/Cherokee) & Aki Red Bird
Memories – Emmanuel Black Bear (Lakota)
Michael Bucher – Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
Musicians In Harmony – Gertie & The T.O. Boyz (Tohono O’odham)
Native Circle Touch The Earth Festival – Various Artists
Native Colors: Homeland Nation Soundtrack – Rickey Medlocke (Lakota/Choctaw)
New Journeys – Terri-Lynn (Haida Nation)
North West Voyage – Metis Fiddler Quartet (Metis)
On The Silent Night – Sayani (Cherokee)
One Shot – Josh Halverson (Mdewakanton Dakota)
Open Your Heart – Mark ThunderWolf (Lakota/Eastern Band of Cherokee)
Preserving The Hertiage: Insights & Songs – Kevin Locke (Lakota/Anishinabe)
Preserving The Hertiage: Insights & Songs – Kevin Locke (Lakota/Anishinabe)
Rain Holy Spirit Rain – Yvonne St. Germaine (Cree)
Reach Within – Howard Lyons (Mohawk)
Release – Tony Redhouse (Navajo)
Rez Bluez – Murray Porter (Mohawk)
Sean Michael Perry & Only The Brave – Sean Michael Perry (Salish/Myan)
Shi Keyah – Songs For The People – Radmilla Cody (Dine’)
Simple Things of Life – Stan Summers (Paiute/Miwok)
Sing It Louder – Cary Morin (Crow)
Smoke Native Amerikaz Most Wanted – Smoke/RedHeadz (Yanktonai Sioux)
Songs Lived & Life Played – Murray Porter (Mohawk)
Soul Left Blind – Smokestack Lightning (Tohono O’odham)
Spirit of a Woman – Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau)
Stay With Me Baby – Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
Still No Good The John Redcorn Experience – Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee)
String Theory – Joseph Strider (Apache)
Supernation – Vince Fontaine’s Indian City (Ojibway)
Tali – SilverWolf: AdelaunegvWaya (Cherokee)
The Art of Peace – Michael Jacobs (Cherokee)
The Definition – Nake Nula Waun (Rosebud Sioux)
The Desire of Nations – Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker (Creek/Cherokee/Cree)
The Foundation of Who I Am – Duster (Cowessess)
The Joint Effect – The Joint Effect (Muscogee/Seminole/Cherokee)
The Longest Walk: Reversing Diabetes –– Lorena Windfeather Navarez
The Meherrin-Chowanoke Project – Various Artists (Various)
The Old Way – Big River Cree (Plains Cree)
The She Wolf – Jimmy Lee Young (Maya)
Tribal Fusion – Cal Silverfox (Apache)
Tribute To The Old Timers – Pipestone (Ojibwe)
Trouble – Tha Native (San Manuel)
Tsionathonwisen – Theresa Bearfox (Mohawk)
Tuwa – Big City Indians (Navajo)
Up From The Ashes – Mitch Walking Elk (Cheyenne/ Arapaho)
Walking From The Roots – Coyote Jump (Mescalero Apache)
Warfield Moose – Warfield Moose Jr (Lakota)
Warriors in the Mist – Tha Tribe (Various)
Wind Dreamer – Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Grand Ronde)
With All Our Love…Catherine Conde – Carl & Buddies (Tohono O’odham)
Written In Blood – Various Artists
Written in Blood –Casper Loma Dawa/Various
Wrong Side of Salvation – Arcane Belief
Yahndawa’ – Andree Levesque Sioui, Akienda Laine, Franceis Couture (Huron)

List Of Nominated Artists

Ali Fontaine (Ojibway) – Ali Fontaine
Big City Indians (Navajo) – Tuwa
Big River Cree (Plains Cree) – The Old Way
Bluedog (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) – Just Living The Blues
Bryson Meyers (Chippewa/Cree) – White Elk Music Sounds of Heavan & Earth
Cheevers Toppah (Kiowa/Navajo) – True Melodies Harmonized Songs From The Heart of Native America
Cheryl Bear (Nadleh Whut’em) – A’BA
Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham) – A Joyful Defiant Tone
Douglas Blue Feather (Cherokee) – Flute Medicine
Emmanuel Black Bear (Lakota) – Memories
Fawn Wood (Cree) – Iskewewak: Songs of Indigenous Womanhood
Francois Couture – Yahndawa’
Frank Waln & Cody Blackbird (Rosebud Sioux) – Hear My Cry
Gabriel Yaiva– Written In Blood
Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne) – Hostiles & Renegades
Graywolf Blues Band (Yoeme Cherokee/Muskogee) – Dancing In The Rain
Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker (Creek/Cherokee/Cree) – The Desire of Nations
Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Grand Ronde) – Wind Dreamer
Jana Mashonee (Lumbee) – Stay With Me Baby
Jim Boyd (Colville) – Living For The Sunny Days
JJ Kent (Oglala Lakota) – Owayanka Wastelo
Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida) – Lifegivers
John Avila – Sean Michael Perry & Only The Brave
John McLeod (Cree) – Do It Anyway
Joseph FireCrow (Northern Cheyenne) – Night Walk
Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau) – Spirit of a Woman or Callie Benett (Navajo) – Glorify
Kelly Parker – The Old Way
Lena Recollet (Odawa/Ojibway/Pottawatami) – I Am Woman, Kwe
Leon Skyhorse (Navajo) – Lost Tapes
Nake Nula Waun (Rosebud Sioux) – The Definition
Painted Raven (Cherokee/Choctaw) – Mirage
Peter Blackwell – Homeland Nation Soundtrack
Peter Sackaney (Constance Lake) – Where Love Belongs
Pipestone (Ojibwe) – Tribute To The Old Timers
Polar Nation (Lenape/Cherokee) – Polar Nation
Radmilla Cody (Dine’) – Shi Keyah – Songs For The People
Ryan Little Eagle Molina (Lakota) – Straight From The Heart
Sinuupa (Inuit) – Culture Shock
Smoke/ RedHeadz (Yanktonai Sioux) – Smoke Native Amerikaz Most Wanted
Stefan Galfas – Stay With Me Baby
Tash Terry & Elena Higgins (Navajo &Maori) – Grandmother Earth Grandfather Sky
Terri-Lynn (Haida Nation) – New Journeys
Terry Lee Whetstone (Cherokee) – Peace 2 Love
Terry Strongheart (Cherokee) – Tears
Tha Tribe (Various) – Warriors in the Mist
Theresa Bearfox (Mohawk) – Tsionathonwisen
Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa) – Earth Warrior
Tony Redhouse (Navajo) – Release
Wayne Silas Jr (Oneida) – True Round Dance Songs

Native Heart Artists

Michael Longrider – Endless Time
John Two Flutes Fields – Creekside
Scott Tweedie – Opening Sound
Steven Graves – Matter of Time
Sybille Hummingbird – Serenity
Terry Frazier – The Awakenin

Videos

A Tribute To Our Heros – CC Murdock
Desert Woman – Yolanda Martinez (Apache)
Do It Anyway – John McLeod (Cree)
Frank Waln Common Man Nake Nula Waun – Randy Eriksen Films
Homeland Nation (Various) – Rickey Medlocke
Horses Thunder – Big City Indians
It’s About Time– Shane Yellowbird (Samson Cree)
Polar Nation – Polar Nation (Lenape/Cherokee)
Sacred Ground Extended – Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
The Making Of A Joyful Defiant Tone – Dawa (Hopi/Tohono O’odham)
Trouble – Tha Native (San Manuel)
Wicohan – Cody Blackbird (Cherokee)

Tickets are on-sale now through www.Ticketmaster.com, all ticketmaster outlets, and at the Seneca box office (716) 501 2444.