Nominees being announced and Public Voting to Commence shortly. Well Over 200 Artist and Recording Submissions Just This Year! Thank you for making us the Single Largest Resource for Native American Music for over 20 Years!
BEFORE OUR OFFICIAL NOMINEE ANNOUNCEMENT ….
Here are (unofficially) the results …
We apologize for the delayed announcement due to server issues. Song, Single & Music Video categories are still being tallied.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR (Select One In Each Category)
Annie Humphrey (Ojibwe) – The Beast and the Garden
Cecil Gray(Kiowa) – Native Blues
Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota) – The Bridge
Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya/Conf. Tribe Grande Ronde) – Flute Medicine
R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) – One World Many Voices
Tracy Lee Nelson (LaJolla/Luiseno/Diegueno) – Blues Loving Man
*NEW OR DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Calvin Standing Bear (Rosebud Sioux) – Fly Eagle Fly
Desja Eagle Tail (Crow/N.Cheyenne/Seneca/Cree)- Never Let Me Go
Janel Munoa (Luiseno/Payomkawhichum) – Howls From Deep In The Woods
Jeremy Dutcher (Wolastoq First Nation) – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Robert “Freightrain” Parker (Seneca) – Outside Ourselves
Thundering Eagle (Cherokee)- Did You Hear The Babies Crying
NEW OR DEBUT DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dawn Avery, Larry Mitchell, Ty DeFoe (Mohawk/Ojibwe/Oneida) – Crane on Earth, in Sky: A Journey
Dreamwalker Suite (Choctaw/Cherokee) – People of the Star Orchestra
Saginaw Grant, H. Doval, I. Kaykahzzinie (Sac and Fox/Navajo/Mescalero Apache) -Don’t Let The Drums Go Silent
Something Inside Is Broken (Intertribal) – Something Inside Is Broken
The Eagle and The Raven Band (Arapaho/Taino) – The Good Red Road
Pine Ridge Flute Society(Oglala Lakota) – Waziahanhan Siyotanka Okolakiciye
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Callie Bennett (Navajo Dine) – Awake, Arise, Shine
Dail Dragonfly Martin (Huron/Wyandot/MicMac) – Good Medicine & Ocean Meditation
Kelly Derrickson (Sylix) – I Am
Sandra Sutter (Cree Metis) – Cluster Stars
Tchiya Amet (Cherokee) – Celestial Folk Music & Black Turtle Island
Thana Redhawk (Mexica/Apache/Cherokee) – Fires of Thunder
*FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya/Conf. Tribe Grande Ronde) – Flute Medicine
Kelvin Mockingbird (Navajo/Dine’) – Night Echo Star Seed
Randy McGinnis (Cherokee) – Freedom’s Hope
Steven Rushingwind (Cahuilla) – Rushingwind
Tommy Wildcat (Cherokee) – Donadagohv’i (I’ll See You Again)
Pine Ridge Flute Society – Waziahanhan Siyotanka Okolakiciye (Oglala Lakota) – Waziahanhan Siyotanka Okolakiciye/
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Crazy Flute (Cherokee) – Tribal Groove
Indian City (Ojibway) – Here & Now
Northern Cree (Cree) – Miyo Kekisepa: Make A Stand
Painted Raven (Cherokee/Sioux) – Medicine Wheel – Prayers of the Four Directions
Twin Flames (Mohawk/Inuit/Metis/Algonquin Cree) – Signal Fire
Two Rivers (Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham) – Volume IV
BEST MALE ARTIST
Joe Tohonnie Jr (Apache) – Medicine Road
Lucas Ciliberti (Cherokee/MicMac) -Time For A Real Change
Paco Fralick (Lac du Flambeau) – Letting Go
Randy Wood (Cree) – Family
Trent Agecoutay (Cowessess First Nation) – Now…and Then
Tony Duncan (Apache/Hidatsu/Anhara Mandan) – Purify
9. RECORD OF THE YEAR (CONTEMPORARY & TRADITIONAL FORMATS)
A Light In The Darkness – Golana (Echota Cherokee of Alabama)
Don’t Let The Drums Go Silent – Saginaw Grant, H.Doval, I. Kaykahzzinie (Sac and Fox/Navajo/Mescalero Apache)
Here & Now -Indian City (Ojibway)
One World Many Voices – R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) , Aaron White, Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, Lo:dac, Jonah Littlesunday
Safe in the Arms of Time – Rita Coolidge (Cherokee)
Signal Fire – Twin Flames (Mohawk/Inuit/Metis/Algonquin Cree)
The Beast and the Garden – Annie Humphrey (Ojibwe)
10. NATIVE HEART
Carol Markstrom – Desert Rose
John Oglesby – The River
Jonny Lipford – Convergence
Michael Longrider – The Journey of Owl and the Eagle
Mignon Geli – Under A Buffalo Sun
Tom Reuter – Sacagawea (Notes From a Field Journal)
11. BEST NATIONAL MUSIC RADIO PROGRAM
Earthsongs with Alexis Sallee
Indigenous In Music with Larry K
Native Circle Show at One World Music Radio with David Rose
Pow Wow Radio Pow Wows.com
Undercurrents with Gregg McVicar
Voices from the Circle with Jim Denomie
12. BEST BLUES RECORDING
Blues Loving Man – Tracy Lee Nelson (LaJolla/Luiseno/Diegueno)
Native Blues – Cecil Gray (Kiowa)
Outside Ourselves – Robert “Freightrain” Parker (Seneca)
Perspective – Levi Platero (Navajo)
The Redmen – The Redmen (Kiowa/Apache/Absentee Shawnee)
Time – The Cody Blackbird Band (Cherokee/Akimel O’ohdam)
13. BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
I Am – Kelly Derrickson (Sylix)
Lovin My Life – Kyla Freichert (Oglala)
Never Let Me Go – Desja Eagle Tail (Crow/N.Cheyenne/Seneca/Cree)
Now…and Then – Trent Agecoutay (Cowessess First Nation)
Time For A Real Change – Lucas Ciliberti (Cherokee/MicMac)
Did You Hear The Babies Crying – Thundering Eagle (Cherokee)
14. BEST FOLK RECORDING
Celestial Folk Music – Tchiya Amet (Cherokee/Blackfoot)
Changing Rivers – Women of Heart (Passamaquaddy/Cherokee)
Letting Go – Paco Fralick (Lac du Flambeau)
Rise – Along The River Atsiaktonkie (St. Regis Mohawk)
Signal Fire – Twin Flames (Mohawk/Inuit/Metis/Algonquin Cree)
The Beast and The Guitar – Annie Humphrey (Ojibwe) feat. Mark Shark
15. BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
Azee Hinaah – Anthony Benally (Navajo)
Inspiration From Our Elders – Jarvis Hunter (Navajo)
Legacy – Cheevers Toppah (Kiowa/Navajo)
Songs of the Native American Church from Oklahoma Vol. 5 – Oliver Littlecook, O.J. Littlecook, Kyle Robedeaux (Ponca)
The Beautiful Way – Irvin Bahe (Navajo)
16. BEST HISTORICAL OR LINGUISTIC RECORDING
Corn, Beans & Squash – Sydney Kokopelli Girl (Metis)
Donadagohv’i (I’ll See You Again) – Tommy Wildcat (Cherokee)
Signal Fire – Twin Flames (Mohawk/Inuit/Metis/Algonquin Cree)
Songs From Dinetah – Kenneth White Sr, Edmond White, Dine Baaliil of Navajoland (Navajo)
Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa – Jeremy Dutcher (Wolastoq First Nation)
Crane on earth, in sky A Journey- Dawn Avery Larry Mitchell
17. BEST SPOKEN WORD OR NARRATIVE RECORDING
Fires of Thunder – Thana Redhawk (Mexica/Apache/Cherokee) –
Something Inside Is Broken – Something Inside Is Broken (Intertribal)
An American Sunrise – Joy Harjo
Don’t Let The Drums Go Silent – Saginaw Grant
Artificial Red Randy Kemp Sky Chief
18. BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
Emergence – Connor Chee (Navajo)
Flute Medicine – Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya/Conf. Tribe Grande Ronde)
Medicine Wheel – Prayers of the Four Directions – Painted Raven (Cherokee/Sioux)
Rushingwind – Steven Rushingwind (Cahuilla)
Tribal Groove – Crazy Flute (Cherokee)
Wind Dance Under The Stars -David Rose (Choctaw/Cherokee)
19. BEST POP RECORDING
Cluster Stars – Sandra Sutter (Cree Metis)
Awake, Arise, Shine – Callie Bennett (Navajo)
Here + Now – Indian City (Ojibway)
Brave Star – Artson (Tarahumara)
Ask Yo Mama – The GroovaLottos (Mashpee Wampanoag)
The Singles – Sten Joddi (Mvskoke Creek)
20. BEST POW WOW OR DRUM RECORDING
Miyo Kekisepa: Make A Stand – Northern Cree (Cree)
Family – Randy Wood (Cree)
Oskiyak kisik Mewasinsational Cree Round Dance Songs – Young Spirit (Cree)
sakitohk-Love Each Other: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live At Apache Gold – Young Spirit (Cree)
Stoney Park – The Journey
21. BEST RAP/HIP HOP RECORDING
Humanity Vol 1 – Buggin Malone (Oneida)
On Top of the Totem – Chase Manhattan (Mvskoke Creek, Leech Lake Anishanaabe)
Rez Star – Blue Flamez/Scott Kalama (Warm Springs/Nez Perce)
The Bridge – Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota)
The Rezpect Album – Nick Lone (Seneca)
Walk On Water: Evolution – G Precious (San Juan Pueblo)
22. BEST ROCK RECORDING
Howls From Deep In The Woods – Janel Munoa
Manifest Destiny – David RedBird Baker (Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Chippewa)
Time – The Cody Blackbird Band (Cherokee/Akimel O’ohdam)
Irv Lyons Jr. – Save The Planet
The Prentendians – Cut Your Teeth
The Good Red Road – The Eagle and The Raven Band (Arapaho/Taino)
23. BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
Azee Hinaah – Anthony Benally (Navajo)
Donadagohv’i (I’ll See You Again) -Tommy Wildcat (Cherokee)
Family – Randy Wood (Cree)
Medicine Road – Joe Tohonnie Jr (Apache)
Sweat Lodge Songs – Craig Elkshoulder (Northern Cheyenne)
The Never Ending Journey Continues – Christy Goulet (Turtle Mountain Chippewa)
24. BEST WAILA RECORDING
All For You – O’odham Nights (Tohono O’odham)
Perseverance – Cruz (Tohono O’odham)
Remembering Sylvester Oliver – Pure Nativez Waila Band (Tohono O’odham)
Til We Die – D. Faktion Nyne
Volume 3 – Valenzuela & Company (Tohono O’odham)
Volume IV – Two Rivers (Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham)
SONG/SINGLE/INDIE SINGLE/MUSIC VIDEO CATEGORIES STILL TALLYING…MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
SAVE THE DATE!
18th ANNUAL AWARDS GALA FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12TH
SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO
HOSTED BY WILLIAMS & REE
NIAGARA FALLS, NY
Arrive Buffalo International Airport
Tickets On-Sale Now At Ticketmaster Outlets. There will be a limited amount of tickets available for public purchase.
Tickets are $45.00 each and all seats are at banquet tables.
Nominees will be accommodated with seats by the Native American Music Awards.
This is a banner year for Native American Music with well over 200 music recording submissions for the Eighteenth Annual Native American Music Awards.
The Eighteenth Annual Native American Music Awards Show is set for Friday, October 12, 2018 as part of the USET Conference (United Southern & Eastern Tribes) at the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. More details will be announced. Please be sure to sign up on our website for all the latest information.
If you or your respective tribal nation may be interested in supporting our Awards voting campaign and/or Awards show production, please contact us. Please contact us via email at NAMALIVE@aol.com.
The Native American music industry continues to thrive. We wish each and every artist who has submitted a recording for nomination much continued success.
Thank you for supporting the World’s Largest Resource for Contemporary and Traditional Native American Music Initiatives!
Below the list of all entries is the offical Advisory Ballot for our Advisory Members only.
Public voting will begin on September 9, 2018 once all our nominees are announced.
#VoteNative #VoteNow #NAMA18
“These are the many voices of the original Americas and they arrive at their strongest and in record-breaking numbers for all to hear.
Our recordings span from historical initiatives, to present day questions for the great leaders, and Native youth speaking louder than ever with their powerful raps about their poignant plights armed with a spirit of undaunted perseverance. No other organization can reflect such an impressive and diverse array of talent and soundscapes from all ages and tribal nations throughout the Americas.”