Blackfire and Native Roots Top NAMMY winners

TENTH ANNUAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED BLACKFIRE & NATIVE ROOTS TOP THE AWARDS WITH TWO

LYNYRD SKYNYRD’S RICKEY MEDLOCKE, REDBONE AMONG THOSE HONORED


BY NAMMYs

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – On Saturday October 4, 2008 the Tenth Annual Native American Music Awards (N.A.M.A.) was held at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York and awarded over 35 artists in a four hour event with 12 onstage presentations and special Hall of Fame inductions and performances that had the packed crowd dancing on their feet. The growing success of the Awards show is now setting industry standards for professional Native American musicians who want to achieve greater acceptance and exposure from mainstream audiences.

Taking two honors each was; the New Mexico-based Reggae group, Native Roots and the Arizona-based punk rock/Alter Native band, Blackfire. Native Roots’ recording, Celebrate won for Best World Music Recording and earned them Group of the Year. Native Roots gave a high-energy live performance with their messages of pride, unity, and respect among all nations. Blackfire, is comprised of two brothers and a sister with a style that encompasses traditional Native American music with rock that bears socio-political and human rights messages. Blackfire’s (Silence) Is A Weapon won Record of the Year and their producer Ed Stasium (Ramones) took the Native Heart award.

On hand to receive their awards were: Janelle Turtle for Best Native American Church Recording with New Beginning. Janelle is the first female to receive this award, and the great great great granddaughter of Dog Woman who was the first woman to run meetings among the Cheyenne people; Jan Michael Looking Wolf, winner of Flutist of the Year with his recording, Unity, gave one of the most poignant and genuine speeches that embraced his friend JJ Kent and the recent loss of Kent’s wife; the Cherokee National Youth Choir who took Best Gospel Inspirational Recording and performed traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. The Choir came into existence from the vision of Principal Chief Chad Smith.

Other Award recipients in attendance included; Nicole for Best Female Artist, Edmund Bull for Best Male Artist who also performed an acoustic song from his album, Follow Your Dreams. After facing one of his toughest personal years with the loss of both parents and best friend, Golana received a nod for Best Instrumental Recording for Mirror Lake. Taking Artist of the Year was multiple award-winner Jim Boyd, with Blues to Bluegrass. This was Boyd's eleventh release which explored many genres - from rock and bluegrass to blues and folk, and was the first recording since the tragic loss of his son, Jim Boyd, Jr.. Carroll Medicine Crow (Best New Age Recording), Jimmy Wolf (Best Blues Recording), Tracy Bone (Best Country Recording), Cheryl Bear (Debut Artist of the Year), Red Hawk (Best Historical Recording) Adrian Brown, Tim Sampson producers for Still No Good, Dago Braves (Rap Hip Hop), NightShield (Song Single of the Year), Ken Quiet Hawk (Spoken Word Recording), and Brule & AIRO (Long Form Video) were also on hand to receive their awards.

Special guests included; Buddy Big Mountain, Lifetime Achievement Recipient Johnny Curtis, the great great grandson of Geronimo, Houston Geronimo and Lance White Magpie, a direct descendant of Crazy Horse.

Capping the evening’s ceremonies was a collaborative performance between Joanne Shenandoah and Corn Bred who performed a unique version of “At Last” with two traditionally dressed dancers dancing a romantic slow dance. Internationally renowned and multi-million record selling band members; Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Janice Marie of Taste of Honey, Pat Vegas of Redone & Felipe Rose of the Village People all gave compelling performances following their inductions into the N.A.M.A. Hall of Fame. Rose performed a medley featuring his award-winning, “We’re Still Here” and “Trail of Tears”. Pat Vegas performed “Come And Get Your Love” and was then joined by Janice-Marie Johnson for “Boogie Oogie Oogie.” Show closer Rickey Medlocke performed a five song medley that included “Gimmie Back My Bullets”, “Train Train” and “Highway Song.” N.A.M.A. proudly honors these legendary performers and songwriters who have been leading forces in mainstream music and in the Native American community.

A post-show VIP party followed the Award ceremonies and featured some impressive and memorable collaborations and jams including; “Rumble” by the late Link Wray’s grandson, Chris Webb, and Jimmy Wolf, as well as a chilling performance of “Proud Mary” by Tracy Bone, Cheryl Bear and Digging Roots’ Shoshana Keech.

N.A.M.A. and its Advisory Board contingency congratulate all the winners and look forward to entering a second decade with them as the country’s leading resource for Native American music initiatives. For the past decade, N.A.M.A. an all-volunteer organization, has been nominating and awarding prominent national music figures of Native American heritage at its annual Awards ceremony, and has steadily and repeatedly attempted to prove that the Native American music community is a viable and impressive industry that is owed reverence and respect.

The Native American Music Awards & Association, founded in 1998, is the world’s leading membership-based association consisting of music industry professionals directly involved in the recording and distribution of traditional and contemporary Native American Music initiatives.

See below for a complete list of winners or visit www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com for more information.

10th ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
WINNERS LIST

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Jim Boyd, Blues To Bluegrass
BEST BLUES RECORDING: Deep Downtown, Jimmy Wolf
BEST COMPILATION RECORDING: Old Style Round Dance Songs Various
BEST COUNTRY RECORDING: No Lies Tracy Bone
DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Cheryl Bear, The Good Road
DEBUT GROUP OF THE YEAR: Injunuity, Unconquered

BEST FEMALE ARTIST: Nicole, Deep Dreams
BEST FOLK RECORDING: Where The Green Grass Grows, The Crow Girls
FLUTIST OF THE YEAR: Jan Michael Looking Wolf, Unity
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING: Precious Memories, Cherokee National Youth Choir
GROUP OF THE YEAR: Native Roots, Celebrate
BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING: Chief Seattle Speaks 1854, Red Hawk
BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING: Mirror Lake by Golana
BEST MALE ARTIST: Edmund Bull, Follow Your Dreams
BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING: New Beginning by Janelle Turtle
BEST NEW AGE RECORDING: Homeland Security by Carroll Medicine Crow
BEST POP RECORDING: Phoenix by Fara Palmer
BEST POW WOW RECORDING: Hear The Beat by Blackfoot Confederacy

BEST PRODUCER: Adrian Brown, Tim Sampson, Jonathon Joss, Charles Button for Still No Good

BEST RAP HIP HOP RECORDING: Native American Hustle, Dago Braves
RECORD OF THE YEAR: (Silence) Is A Weapon, Blackfire
BEST ROCK RECORDING: The Sun & The Earth, Stevie Salas
SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR: Broken Dreams by Nightshield
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Star Nayea, Silenced My Tongue
BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING: The Story Tellers by Ken Quiet Hawk
BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING: Traditional Navajo Shoe Songs, Gilbert Begay Sr
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO: The Enlightened Time by Jana
BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO: Live At Mt Rushmore by Brule’ & AIRO
BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING: Celebrate by Native Roots
NATIVE HEART: Ed Stasium, (Silence) Is A Weapon

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Sounds of Resistance: Native American Music Awards NarcoSphere, NY - Oct 5, 2008 Brenda Norrell TUCSON -- Congratulations to the thirty winners of Native American Music Awards at the 10th annual celebration on the Seneca Nation in New ...511 Avenue of the

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All photos copyright 2008 Kimberlie Acosta & 2008 Native American Music Awards Inc.