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TENTH ANNUAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED

BLACKFIRE & NATIVE ROOTS TOP THE AWARDS WITH TWO

LYNYRD SKYNYRD’S RICKEY MEDLOCKE, REDBONE

AMONG THOSE HONORED

Niagara Falls, NY – 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. 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.

511 AVENUE the Americas #371 New York NY 10011 Tel 212.228.8300 Fax 646.688.6883

Email Nammys@aol.com www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com

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

Golana

BEST MALE ARTIST

Edmund Bull

Follow Your Dreams

BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING

New Beginning

Janelle Turtle

BEST NEW AGE RECORDING

Homeland Security

Carroll Medicine Crow

BEST POP RECORDING

Phoenix

Fara Palmer

BEST POW WOW RECORDING

Hear The Beat

Blackfoot Confederacy

BEST PRODUCER

Adrian Brown, Tim Sampson, Jonathon Joss, Charles Button

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

Nightshield

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Star Nayea

Silenced My Tongue

BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING

The Story Tellers

Ken Quiet Hawk

BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING

Traditional Navajo Shoe Songs

Gilbert Begay Sr

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO

The Enlightened Time

Jana

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO

Live At Mt Rushmore

Brule’ & AIRO

BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING

Celebrate

Native Roots

NATIVE HEART

Ed Stasium

(Silence) Is A Weapon

511 AVENUE the Americas #371 New York NY 10011 Tel 212.228.8300 Fax 646.688.6883

Email Nammys@aol.com www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com