NAMA 12 Nominees Announced

Nominees Announced for the Twelfth Annual Music Awards To Be Held On Friday, November 12, 2010 At Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino In Niagara Falls

September 20, 2010 – New York, NY. Nominations for the 12th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) were announced today by The Native American Music Association & Awards, reflecting the combined votes of the NAMA Advisory Board Membership Nominating Committee.

Both new and established artists share the list of nominations throughout a diverse array of 30 music categories spanning all genres. This year’s top nominees are the cause-driven; Jan Michael Looking Wolf with his CD, “Breakin Free” and Joseph FireCrow with his distinctly new sound on “Face The Music” who are both tied with five (5) nominations and are both contenders in the Record of the Year category. Other leading nominees feature the slightly more edgier bands; Aztlan Underground with their self-titled recording, and Digging Roots with “We Are” who both received four (4) nominations each alongside solo artists Michael Bucher for his “Believe” CD and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Nokie Edwards of The Ventures (Wipe Out, Hawaii Five-O) who also received 4 nods for his solo instrumental effort, “Hitchin’ A Ride.”

Country artists like Shane Yellowbird (3), Quatisi (3), and new artist Victoria Blackie (2) dominante as multiple nominees. Leading with three (3) nominations each are; R. Carlos Nakai, Jim Boyd, Johnny Whitehorse, Eagle & Hawk, Samantha Crain and composer Brad Clonch of Injunity. Joanne Shenandoah is featured on a collaborative effort with Shiela Applegate and received two (2) nominations for her musical work as well as did a young group from the Rosebud Reservation, Nake Nula Waun and their producer/creator, Frank Waln who have been trying to fight the teen suicide epidemic on their reservation by performing for free and giving away CDs to their peers.

All with two (2) nominations are; Allen Mose Jr. & Orion Jay Mose, Gabriel Ayala, Anthony Betoney, BlueDog, Douglas Blue Feather & Danny Voris, Indigie Femme, JJ Kent, Kelly Montijo Fink, Kicking Woman Singers, Lone Bear, Mwalim, Plex, Sayani, Segweh, Spiritwing, and Yvonne St. Germaine.

“These nominations throughout all 30 music categories reflect an impressive and diverse array of talent from across the country,” said Awards President Ellen Bello. “We have received entries from artists overseas and in Europe as well. This year will also feature a new music category for Waila Music, or Chicken Scratch, a form of dance and polka music from Southern Arizona. It’s truly an exciting year for Native American music and we look forward to nothing less than a spectacular Awards celebration this year.”

Public voting to determine the winner of each category will commence in the next few days and will be open to the general public. Anyone interested in voting can visit the Awards website, www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com. Music from all nominees is currently featured on the audio players on the website.

Tentatively scheduled to perform at this year’s 12th Annual Native American Music Awards show taking place on 11/12/10 will be top nominees; Joseph FireCrow, Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band, Digging Roots, new artist Victoria Blackie and American idol semi-finalist Charly Lowry with her band, Dark Water Rising with more to be announced.

See below for a complete list of official nominees for the 12th Annual Native American Awards:

A ARTIST OF THE YEAR
JJ Kent – The Other Side of JJ Kent
Joanne Shenandoah – Enchanted Garden
Johnny Whitehorse – Riders of the Healing Band
Joseph FireCrow – Face The Music
Michael Bucher – Believe
Shane Yellowbird – It’s About Time

B BEST BLUES RECORDING
Get Up & Get Out – Bluedog
Guitar & Vocals – Larry Burnett w/Don Chapman
If That’s All Right With You – Twice As Good
Indian Casino – Blackhawk Blues Band
Let Me Be – The Graywolf Blues Band
Shades of Gray – Cecil Gray & The Flying Eagle Blues Band

C BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
Colours of My Life – Stephanie Harpe, Jason Burnstick, W.T. Goodspirt, Don Amoro, Tewanee Jospeh
Moon of the Drum – Terry Lee Whetstone
Rise Up – Various
The Best of Drumgroups.com NAC Compilation Vol 1 – Various
The Night Before; The Best of David Searching Owl – David Searching Owl
Walking With the Spirits – Randy McGinnis

D BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
Hitchin’ A Ride – Nokie Edwards
It’s About Time – Shane Yellowbird
Moving On – John McLeod
The Other Side of JJ Kent – JJ Kent
SOS – Quatisi
Wanted Man – Victoria Blackie

E DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Ferree – Unbound
Cody Sunbear Blackbird – Raven Speaks
Joseph Strider – Meanings Within Meanings, Within Meanings
Marc Brown – Long Time Coming
Samantha Crain – Songs In The Night by Samantha Crain
Victoria Blackie – Wanted Man

F DEBUT DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dark Water Rising – Dark Water Rising
Indigie Femme – Indian Souvenir
Kicking Woman Singers – The 4th Coming
Nake Nula Waun – Always Ready
Sayani – Sacred Fire
Segweh – Segweh

G BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Deborah New Moon Rising – Stories From The Social Fire
Kelly Montijo Fink – Songs of War & Victory
Quatisi – SOS
Shanise – Okeymow Maskiki Vol III
Tinesha Begaye – Horses Are Our Journey
Yvonne St. Germaine – Turning My Day Around

H BEST FOLK RECORDING
Amor Deveras – Yolanda Martinez
Believe – Michael Bucher
Hiding Behind The Sun – Peter Sackaney
Indian Souvenir – Indigie Femme
Scrapbook – Bobby Bullet st Germaine (Strawberry Island)
Songs In The Night by Samantha Crain – Samantha Crain

I FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
John Bear – Pure Passion
John Two-Hawks – Wind Songs
Johnny Whitehorse – Riders of the Healing Road
Jonny Lipford – Turn The Page
Joseph FireCrow – Face The Music
R. Carlos Nakai – Dancing Into Silence

J BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
Doo Lado Shi diyin da – Larry Kaibetoney
Hoop of Life – RainSong: Terry & Darlene Wildman
Out of the Rainshadow – Rainshadow
Sacred Fire – Sayani
Songs of War & Victory – Kelly Montijo Fink
Turning My Day Around – Yvonne St. Germaine

K DUO – GROUP OF THE YEAR
Allen Mose Jr. & Orion Jay Mose – Holistic Blessings
Aztlan Underground – Aztlan Underground
Bluedog – Get Up & Get Out
Digging Roots – We Are
Fawn Wood & Dallas Washkahat – ‘Til The End
Injunuity – Fight For Survival

L BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
A Tribute To Walter Flett – Me’tis Fiddler Quartet
Fight For Survival – Injunity
Hitchin’ A Ride – Nokie Edwards
Red River Jig – Arvel Bird
Remembrance – Gabriel Ayala
Rollin’ Like Thunder – Douglas Blue Feather & Danny Voris

M BEST MALE ARTIST
Anthony Betoney – That’s An Old Song
Jay Begaye – Horses Are Our Journey
Glen Ahhaitty – No More Lies
Kevin Yazzie – Hope
Lone Bear – NDN Moon
Mike Sullivan Sr– Love, Lies & Lullabies

N BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
A Time for Healing – Cecile Moosomin
Dakota/Lakota Traditional Church Songs – Sacred Harmonies
Hope – Kevin Yazzie
Okeymow Maskiki Vol III – Shanise
Reconnected – Brian Stoner & Verdell Primeaux
Unity – Alex Turtle & Johnny Monroe

O BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
Jim Boyd – Voices From The Lakes
Sheila Applegate w/music by Joanne Shenandoah – Enchanted Garden
Joseph FireCrow – Face The Music
R. Carlos Nakai – Dancing Into Silence
Johnny Whitehorse – Riders of the Healing Road
Ron Warren, Dawn Avery, Ash Dargan – Red Moon

P BEST POP RECORDING
A Sunny Day – SpiritWing
Lifestyle Muzik – Bigg B
Nightwatch – Sentinel
SOS – Quatisi
The Liberation Sessions – Mwalim
We Are – Digging Roots

Q BEST POW WOW RECORDING
Boys Will Be Boyz – The Boyz
Live In Alexis – Blackstone
Many Tribes, One Nation – Warscout
One Voice, One Nation – Thunder Mountain Singers
The 4th Coming – Kicking Woman Singers
The Elk Dreamers – Elk Soldier

R BEST PRODUCER
A Michael Martinez, Lee Herrera, Mac Suazo, Tom Bee – neXt eXit
Frank Waln – Always Ready
George Parker – Late Night Sessions
Gloria Larocque – Colours of My Life
Jan Michael Looking Wolf, Donald Blackfox, Shawn Justice – Breakin’ Free
Robert Doyle– Dancing Into Silence

S BEST RAP / HIP HOP RECORDING
BrainStorm – Plex
I Love California – Short Dawg Tha Native
It Comes Natural – Lady Xplicit
Sex, Drunks & Hip Hop – Night Shield
Tribal Tribulations – Chase Monchamp/Chase Manhattan
Voice The Vision – Native Era Presents Arielle Tiensvold n Mista Futuristic

T RECORD OF THE YEAR
Believe – Michael Bucher
Breakin’ Free – Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band
Dancing Into Silence – R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton & Will Clipman
Face The Music – Joseph FireCrow
It’s About Time – Shane Yellowbird
True Blue – Northern Cree

U BEST ROCK RECORDING
Aztlan Underground – Aztlan Underground
Breakin’ Free – Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band
Need Your Love – Robe Williams
Segweh – Segweh
The Great Unknown – Eagle & Hawk
We Are – Digging Roots

V SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Cherokee Smoke” – Nokie Edwards
“Grandfather” – Windwalker
“Lizard Blues” – Joseph FireCrow
“We Are Sinixt” – Jim Boyd
“What If We Could” – Eagle & Hawk
“What The World Needs” – Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band

W SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Brad Clonch – Fight For Survival
Douglas Blue Feather– Rollin Like Thunder
Michael Bucher – Believe
Nokie Edwards – Hitchin’ A Ride
Samantha Crain – Songs In The Night by Samantha Crain
Vince Fontaine, Chris Burke-Gaffney – The Great Unknown

X BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING
Aztlan Underground – Aztlan Underground
Firewater – Janet Rogers
Moon of the Drum – TerryLee Whetstone
Nightwatch – Sentinel
Red Earth – Lowery Begaye
Stories From The Social Fire – The Story Tellers

Y BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
Cultural Legacy – Wakinyan Oyate
Holistic Blessings – Allen Mose Jr. & Orion Jay
Kee-Tsa-Gya – Zotigh Singers
Rebuilding The Fire – Bo Taylor
That’s An Old Song – Anthony Betoney
Utopia – Todi Neesh Zhee Singers

Z BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Barefeet On The Blacktop – Shane Yellowbird
Breakin’ Free/Addiction– The Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band
By The Water – Donna Kay
Sacred Warrior – Tom Bee
Shock Town – Jim Boyd
Spring To Come – Digging Roots

AA BEST WAILA RECORDING (NEW CATEGORY)
Gortie & the TO Boyz – A Tribute To Augustine Lopez Sr
Native Creed – Cumbiafied Nativez
Native Thunder – Get’n Down
Papago Warrior – Papago Warriors 5
The Cisco Band – T.C.O.B.
Tohono O’odham Braves – 25 Years of Waila Music

BB BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
A Sunny Day – SpiritWing
Aztlan Underground – Aztlan Underground
BrainStorm – Plex
Red Moon – Ron Warren, Dawn Avery, Ash Dargan
Remembrance – Gabriel Ayala
The Liberation Sessions – Mwalim

CC NATIVE HEART (Non-Native Artist)
Big City Indians – Tribal Vision
Denise Johanson – Cave Spirits
Jeff Ball Band – Ghost Town
Peter Phippen –Woodnotes Wyld
Scott Tweedie – Long Island Sound
Wind & Fire – Mark Holland/N. Scott Robinson

The Native American Music Awards congratulates all of this year’s nominees.

NAMA 12 is sponsored by: The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, TheSan Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino, WGWE, 105.9 FM, a commercial and FCC-licensed radio station owned by Seneca Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Seneca Holdings and Bandzoogle who will be offering a special promotion to all NAMMY artists in the coming weeks.

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