Native American Music Awards Announce Nominees

Nominations have been announced for the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) to be held on September 17 on Seneca Territory, at the Events Center of the Seneca Allegany Casino.

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The nominations were selected by combined votes of NAMA Advisory Board Membership, aiming to spotlight the highest quality recordings by music makers throughout Indian Country in 25 different music categories.

According to a press release, both old and new artists made the cut this year, featuring noteworthy selections such as, America’s Got Talent finalists, Lil Mike and Funny Bone, and GRAMMY Award winners, Primeaux & Mike.

There will be performances at the awards ceremony by several artists including, Shelley Morningsong, the nominee for both Artist of Year and Record of the Year for “Love Medicine,” Fabian Fontenelle for his twice nominated recording, “Songs of Our Ancestors: Songs of the Zuni”, and and previous NAMA Award winner, Bear Fox who was nominated for her solo effort, “Daybreak” and will also perform with her traditional women’s group she co-founded, The Akwesasne Singers.

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Joseph Fire Crow, a Cheyenne singer/songwriter, flutist, and actor. Fire Crow has won Best Songwriter, Best Instrumental Recording,  Artist of the Year, Best Song Single, and is a three time Best Flutist award winner by the Native American Music Awards.

The Native American Music Awards & Association is the world’s largest professional membership-based organization committed to honoring contemporary and traditional Native American music initiatives.

Voting is now open to the general public. For more information, please visit www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com.

2016 Native American Music Awards & Association Nominees:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Annie Humphrey (Ojibwe) – Uncombed Hair

Joe Tohonnie Jr (Apache/Navajo) – Family Keeping Our Traditions Alive

Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne) – Love Medicine

Steven Rushingwind (Cahuilla) – Red Beaten Path

Tabitha Fair (Chickasaw) – Toward The Rising Sun

Vince Redhouse (Navajo) – Appear To Be

BEST BLUES RECORDING

All Our Relations – Blue Mountain Tribe (Chiricahua Apache)

Big N’ Tasty – BNT  Big N Tasty Blues Band (Oneida of Wisconsin)

Native American Gratitude – Tony Eagleheart Garcia (Tarasco/Purepecna of Michoacan/Huichol/Sierra Madra)

Song of the Wolf – Graywolf Blues Band (Yaqui)

Swingin’ Tomahawk – Billy Joe Green (Anishinaabe Ojibway)

That’s All I Need – Twice As Good (Pomo)

BEST COUNTRY RECORDING

Acoustic Sessions – Tyra Preston (Navajo)

Last Ride – C-WEED (Anishinaabe aka Ojibway)

Love Drunk Fool – Wayne Garner (Cherokee)

Reservation Girl – Desert West (Navajo)

Til The Cowboys Come Home- Kimberley Dawn (Metis)

Warriors of Love – Kelly Derrickson (West Bank First Nation Okanagan)

DEBUT ARTIST

Blackkiss (Navajo) – Dirt Dance Floor

Carmen Jones (Ojibway) – Can You See It

Connor Chee (Navajo) – The Navajo Piano

Logan Staats (Mohawk) – Goodbye Goldia

Niizhoo Sullivan (LCO Ojibway)- Rez Kid Rhythmn

Thana Redhawk (Apache/Cherokee/Aztec/Sioux/Mexica) – Medicine Frequencies

DEBUT GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR

7th Generation Rise (Oglala/Yaqui) – The Fifth World

Company 2015 (Navajo) – Company 2015

David Rose & Pete Barnhart (Choctaw/Cherokee) – Falling To Grace

Jaaji & Chelsey June (Mohawk/Inuk) – Twin Flames

Scatter Their Own (Oglala Lakota) – Taste The Time

Jay – Wellz Music (Rosebud Sioux/Sicangu Oyate) – Every Minute of it or EMOI

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST

Bear Fox (Mohawk) – Daybreak

Fawn Wood (Cree) – Kikawiynaw

Kelly Derrickson (West Bank First Nation Okanagan) – Warriors of Love

Kimberley Dawn (Metis) – Til The Cowboys Come Home

Rona Yellow Robe (Chippewa Cree) – Lighting Our Way

Sage Bond (Lakota) – Sage Bond

BEST FOLK SPOKEN WORD RECORDING

Another Man’s Son – Jonathan Maracle (Mohawk)

Justice In Time – Bobby Bullet (Lac Du Flambeau/Lake Superior Chippewa)

Medicine Frequencies – Thana Redhawk (Apache/Cherokee/Aztec/Sioux/Mexica)

Native American Songs & Stories For Children Vol 1 – Sue Straw (Cherokee Nation West)

This Northern Girl – Cindy Paul (Metis Cree)

Twin Flames – Jaaji & Chelsey June (Mohawk/Inuk)

FLUTIST OF THE YEAR

Cody Blackbird Band (Eastern Band of Cherokee/Dakota) – Euphoria

Darren Thompson (Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior/Chippewa) – Between Earth and Sky: Native American Flute Music Recorded in the Black Hills –

Ed Koban (Mohawk) – How To Fly

Randy Granger (Mayan/Apache) – Ancient Grace

Rona Yellow Robe (Chippewa Cree) – Shoot For The Moon

Ryan Little Eagle (Taino/Lakota) – My Song, My Stories

DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Cree Confederation (Cree) – Piciciwin – Cree Round Dance Songs

Lil Mike & FunnyBone (Pawnee, Choctaw) – Rain Dance The Album

Primeaux & Mike (Sioux/Navajo) – Road To Peace

Spirit of Thunderheart (Schaghticoke & Metis) – Unity

Tony Duncan & Darrin Yazzie (Apache/Mandan/Arikara/Hidatsa/Dine’) – Singing Lights

Young Spirit (Plains Cree) – Nitehe Ohchi-“From The Heart”

BEST GOSPEL/ INSPIRATIONAL /NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING

Dear Lord Jesus- Melissa Pettignano (Apache)

Heart and Soul – Conrad Benally (Shoshone Bannock)

Into The Storm – Primeaux & Skyhorse (Lakota/Ponca/Navajo Dine)

Northern Lights 3 – Devin Whirlwind Soldier (Rosebud Sioux)

Spirit of the Swirling One: Songs of the Native American Church – Louie Gonnie (Dine’)

Meditations For Two – I Golana (Echota Cherokee of Alabama)

BEST HISTORICAL/LINGUISTIC RECORDING

Mackenzie’s Raid – 7 Trees (Lipan Apache)

Justice In Time – Bobby Bullet (Lac Du Flambeau/Lake Superior Chippewa)

Putting The Moccasins Back On – Joseph Flying Bye (Lakota)

Songs of Our Old People – Kenneth Cozad & Friends (Kiowa & Comanche)

500 Years – Rhonda Head (Cree)

Unity – Jim Boyd (Confederated tribes of Colville Reservation)

BEST INSTRUMENTAL/NEW AGE RECORDING

Appear To Be – Vince Redhouse (Navajo)

Red Beaten Path – Steven Rushingwind (Cahuilla)

Sky Before A Storm – Gareth (Mi’kmaq/Cree)

The Navajo Piano – Connor Chee (Navajo)

The River – ETHEL & Robert Mirabal  (Taos Pueblo)

Wildflowers – Painted Raven (Cherokee/Sioux)

BEST MALE VOCALIST

CC Murdock (Timpanogos/Shashone Piaute) – Resistance

Fabian Fontenelle (Zuni/Omaha) – Songs of Our Ancestors/Songs of Zuni

  1. Jay Moz (Navajo) – Affectional Moment

Randy Granger (Mayan/Apache) – Desert Dreaming

Roman Orona (Apache) – Circling Spirits Contemporary Apache Songs

Spencer Battiest (Seminole) – Stupid In Love

BEST POP RECORDING

Dare To Dream – Gareth (Mi’kmaq/Cree)

Do You Mind – The GroovaLottos (Cherokee, Choctaw and Wampanoag)

Freedom – Rockapelli (Chumash/Huichol)

Hallucinations – Nikkole (Meherrin Nation)

MIGHTY – Jace Martin (Mohawk)

Stupid In Love – Spencer Battiest (Seminole)

BEST POW WOW RECORDING

Born To Sing: Pow Wow Songs Recorded live at ASU – Young Bear (Various)

Kihtawasoh Wapakwani/Beautiful Flower – Cree Confederation (Cree)

Live @ Apache Gold – Yellow Spotted Horse (Ponca)

Live From The Big Sky – Show Time (Various /Three Affiliated Tribes)

Now and Forever Love Songs – Big River Cree (Cree)

True North Strong & Cree Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live at Enoch – Northern Cree (Cree)

BEST RAP/HIP HOP/R&B  RECORDING

Beam Me Up – Blue Flamez (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Oregon)

Broken Bridges – Red Haze (Jicarilla Apache)

Defover 30 – Quese Imc (Pawnee/Seminole)

NDN (Warrior DNA Album) – Chase Manhattan (Mvskoke, Anishnabe, Lakota)

Rain Dance The Album – Lil Mike & FunnyBone (Pawnee, Choctaw)

The Addiction – Night Shield (Rosebud Sioux)

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Bridge Creek Road – Jim Boyd (Confederated tribes of Colville Reservation)

Kikawiynaw – Fawn Wood (Cree)

Love Medicine – Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne)

Mahli  – Injunuity (Choctaw/Chickasaw)

Songs of Our Old People – Kenneth Cozad & Friends (Kiowa & Comanche)

The Navajo Piano – Connor Chee (Navajo)

BEST ROCK RECORDING

Elevolution – Hour Eleven (Choctaw/Cherokee/Taino/Zacateco)

Evolution – Phoenix Rises (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa)

Old Dog Cryin – Corey Medina (Navajo Dine’)

Taste The Time – Scatter Their Own (Oglala Lakota)

Hard Road Out of Hell – Geronimo Paulette (Chipewyan)

Spirit Cry – Spirit Cry (Choctaw/Wyandotte of Oklahoma)

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Bad One – Dylan Jenet (Montaukette)

Come And Get Your Love – B. of Dakota South Records (Yankton Sioux)

Fire Inside – Sten Joddi (Muskoke Creek Nation of OK)

Goodnight Moon – Clan-Destine (Lakota/Dine)

In Your Eyes – Howard Lyons (Mohawk)

Toward The Rising Sun – Tabitha Fair (Chickasaw)

BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING

Family Keeping Our Traditions Alive – Joe Tohonnie Jr (Apache/Navajo)

Generations – Windwalker and the MCW (Linape/Mik Maq/Cherokee)

Our Dance – Alaska Native Heritage Center Dancers (Various)

Putting The Moccasins Back On – Joseph Flying Bye (Lakota)

Sisters In Spirit – Women of Heart (Passamaquoddy/Cherokee)

Songs of Our Ancestors/Songs of Zuni – Fabian Fontenelle (Zuni/Omaha)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

#DearNativeYouth – Mic Jordan (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas)

Hellraisers On Harleys – Jim Boyd (Confederated tribes of Colville Reservation)

One Day – Indian City (Ojibway)

Rez Life – Blue Flamez featuring BLL (Warm Springs/Klamath/Crow/Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians)

We Didn’t Ask Why – Shelley MorningSong

Why? – Supaman and Acosia Red Elk

BEST WAILA RECORDING

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Father & Uncle – Family Pride (Tohono O’odham Nation)

O’odham Tradition Waila Band – Mumsigo Himdag (Tohono O’odham Nation)

Steel Rollin – Nativille (Tohono O’odham Nation)

Waila In Our Eyes – Mumsigo Tribe (Tohono O’odham Nation)

NATIVE HEART

Charles Button – White Buffalo

John Oglesby – Spirit Path

Lex Nichols – Into The Canyon

Michael Longrider  – In Through The Mist

Terry Frazier – Above The Mist

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Joseph FireCrow

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