Here is the Full List of Nominees for the 2015 Indigenous Music Awards

Nominees for the 2015 Indigenous Music Awards were announced today. Here is the full list of this year's IMA nominees.

Formerly known as the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards, the newly re-dubbed Indigenous Music Awards announced their 2015 nominees today at a livestreamed press conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Celebrating 10 years of Indigenous music and culture, the IMAs support the wide range of music being made throughout Indian Country. Produced in partnership with the Manito Ahbee Festival, this year's awards week will be held September 9-13, 2015.

Hip-hop continues to be huge at the IMAs, with acclaimed artists Drezus and City Natives leading the nominations with four each—including Best Duo or Group, Best Hip-Hop CD, Best Music Video, and Single of the Year—while Los Angeles duo Lightning Cloud holds it down with three nods, including facing off against Drezus amid a strong list of contenders for Indigenous Entertainer of the Year.

Also look out for some fierce competition on the pow wow recording trail, where heavy hitters Black Bear, Cree Confederation, Northern Cree, Northern Voice and Stoney Creek are vying for Best Contemporary Pow Wow CD honours.

Voting in every category is now open to the public, so support the Indigenous music culture that we all love by visiting indigenousmusicawards.ca to cast your vote for your favourite artists and recordings.

Here is the full list of 2015 Indigenous Music Awards Nominees:

BEST ALBUM COVER DESIGN

BEATRICE DEER - Fox BLACKSTONE - Kaskite Asiniy ENTER-TRIBAL - Hitting The Trail FLORENT VOLLANT - Puamuna HELLNBACK - #FOE=Family Over Everything

BEST ACOUSTIC FOLK CD

CARY MORIN - Tiny Town CHELSEY JUNE - Finding Me JASON BURNSTICK & NADINE L’HIRONDELLE - Wrapped in Daisies JOSEPH STRIDER - Carbon 14 KELLY JACKSON - Renditions Of The Soul

BEST COUNTRY CD

ARMOND DUCK CHIEF - The One BOB E. LEE WEST - The Tree JODY THOMAS GASKIN - Born on the Rezz KIMBERLEY DAWN - Til The Cowboys Come Home THELMA CHEECHOO - Stay

BEST GOSPEL CD

CARL CRANE - Northern Man “A Little Bit of Me” DAWN KARIMA - The Stars Of Heaven DIANNE FOSTER - Holy Mighty Fire KELLY MONTIJO FINK - Don’t Let Me Forget YVONNE ST. GERMAINE - If You See My Savior

BEST DUO OR GROUP

CITY NATIVES DEE ERIN BAND GHOST TOWN ORCHESTRA INDIAN CITY JULIAN TAYLOR BAND

BEST HAND DRUM CD

ANTONE & CHIEFS - Antone & Chiefs BEARHEAD SISTERS - Our Angels MANITOU MKWA SINGERS - Manitou Mkwa Singers WAYNE SILAS, JR. - Infinite Passion YOUNG SPIRIT - Nitehe Ohci - From the Heart

BEST FLUTE CD

DAVID ROSE - Wind Dance Under the Moon JAN LOOKING WOLF - Wind Dreamer RYAN LITTLE EAGLE - My Songs My Stories STEVEN RUSHINGWIND - Red Beaten Path TONY DUNCAN & DARRIN YAZZIE - Singing Lights WILLIAM GREENLAND - The Journey Beyond

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE OR FRANCOPHONE CD

FLORENT VOLLANT- Puamuna JAAJI - Nunaga (My Home, My Land) JONATHAN MARACLE - Karonyakdadeh Hymns of Mohawk Elders SEWEPAGAHAM - Sewepagaham

BEST INDIGENOUS MUSIC STATION / RADIO PROGRAM

A CONVERSATION WITH DAWN KARIMA NATIONAL ABORIGINAL MUSIC COUNTDOWN (NCI FM) NATIVE TRAILBLAZERS RADIO NATIVE WAVES RADIO

BEST INDIGENOUS SONGWRITER

ARMOND DUCK CHIEF - The One JASON BURNSTICK & NADINE L’HIRONDELLE - My Headstart Preschool JOSEPH STRIDER - Seven Arrows LIGHTNING CLOUD - Meet Me At The Pow Wow TOMSON HIGHWAY - Taansi, Nimiss WILL BELCOURT AND THE HOLLYWOOD INDIANS - Burn It Down

BEST INSTRUMENTAL CD

GERONIMO PAULETTE - Hard Road Out Of Hell MWALIM DA PHUNKEE PROFESSOR - Awakened By A Noon Day Sun SEAN BEAVER - Torn

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS RELEASE

AYRAD - Ayrad EMMANUEL JAL - The Key QUIQUE ESCAMILLA - 500 Years of Night TASHA T - Real Talk THE BASS INVADERS - Dance of the Fox

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

CITY NATIVES - Straight Chief’n DREZUS - Warpath INDIAN CITY - One Day KELLY DERRICKSON - Idle No More LIGHTNING CLOUD - Walk Alone

BEST NEW ARTIST

DEE ERIN BAND GABRIELLE KNIFE KELLY DERRICKSON KICKIN KROTCH NITANIS ‘KIT’ LARGO

BEST PEYOTE CD

DONJAY NELSON - Good Morning Dawn JAKE TYNER, EDMOND POOCHAY AND LANCE CROWE - Good Memories JOE TAHONNIE JR. - Ceremony LOUIE GONNIE - Spiraling, Ascending With Prayer SILAS & PIERCE BIGLEFTHAND - Northern Cheyenne Peyote Healing Songs

BEST POP CD

CLASSIC ROOTS - Hack The Planet JAMIE COON - Day After Day NIIKO SOUL  - Neon Warrior TOMSON HIGHWAY - Patricia Cano sings songs from The (Post) Mistress VICTOR PATRICK - Bound by Roots

BEST POW WOW CD - CONTEMPORARY

BLACK BEAR - Come & Get Your Love: The Tribe Session CREE CONFEDERATION - Kihtawasoh Wapakwani NORTHERN CREE - Northern Cree Breaking Boundaries NORTHERN VOICE - In Land We Trust STONEY CREEK - Dedicated

BEST POW WOW CD - TRADITIONAL

CHIPPEWA TRAVELLERS - Honouring Our Biish (Water) NORTHERN WIND - Northern Wind Bimaadiziwin TRAIL MIX - Str8 Forward

BEST PRODUCER / ENGINEER

ARMOND DUCK CHIEF - The One BEARHEAD SISTERS - Our Angels DREZUS - Indian Summer GHOST TOWN ORCHESTRA - Ghost Town Orchestra NIIKO SOUL - Neon Warrior

BEST RAP / HIP-HOP CD

CHIEF ROCK - A Warriors Journey CITY NATIVES - Red City CODY COYOTE - Lose Control DREZUS - Indian Summer HELLNBACK - #FOE=Family Over Everything

BEST ROCK CD

DEE ERIN BAND - Broken Road MIDNIGHT SHINE - Northern Man SCATTER THEIR OWN - Taste The Time THE DEEDS - Mother Nature WILL BELCOURT AND THE HOLLYWOOD INDIANS - Annie Baby

BEST TELEVISION PROGRAM / PROMOTION OF INDIGENOUS MUSIC

ABORIGINAL UNITY EXPERIENCE GUILT FREE ZONE THE CANDY SHOW

INDIGENOUS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

ARMOND DUCK CHIEF CARY MORIN DREZUS LIGHTNING CLOUD RELLIK STEVEN RUSHINGWIND

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

BLACK BEAR - Come & Get Your Love II CITY NATIVES - Straight Chief’n CODY COYOTE - Warrior INDIAN CITY - Duet KELLY JACKSON - After All This Time RELLIK - My Voice

The 2014 Aboriginal People's Choice Music Award Nominees

Inez Jasper garnered the most nominations (five!) followed by Indian City and Shy-Anne (four each!) at the 2014 APCMA nominee announcement. With over 25 Indigenous artists nominated over all, this year is looking as exciting as ever

At Portage Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Manito Ahbee Festival announced the 2014 Aboriginal People's Choice Music Award Nominees. Voting is open now until July 19th - get your vote on at aboriginalpeopleschoice.com - and enormous congratulations from RPM to all the nominees, keep making music!

Best Music Video

• A Tribe Called Red - Sisters
• Genevieve Fisher - Bad Enough
• Inez Jasper - Dancin' on the Run
• Keith Secola - Say Your Name
• Supaman - Prayer Loop Song

Best New Artist

• Crystal J
• Ghost Town Orchestra
• Iceis Rain
• Jasmine Netsena
• Leonard Sumner

Best Peyote CD

• Delbert Blackhorse -Friends & Family
• Joe Tohonnie Jr. - Apache Peyote Songs
• Keving Yazzie - Charity
• Meewasin Oma - God Saw it Was
• Utin Machiskinie and Lance Crowe - Life of Happiness

Best Pop CD

• Indian City - Colors
• Inez Japer - Burn Me Down
• JB the First Lady - Indigenous Girl LifeStyle
• Moodie x 2 - Never Alone
• Red Rockerz - Electronic Gangster

Best Pow Wow CD - Contemporary

• Bear Creek - Kaagige - Forever
• Eastern Eagle - Twenty Years of Powwow
• North Bear - #NBallday
• Northern Cree - Loyalty to the Drum
• Northern Voice - Dance of the Moon
• Young Bear - Live

Best Producer/Engineer

• Christa Couture - The Living Record
• Dallas Arcand - Thunderbird Spirit
• Indian City - Colors
• Inez Jasper - Burn Me Down
• Kristi Lane Sinclair- The Sea Alone
• Samantha Crain - Kid Face

Best Rap/Hip Hop CD

• KASP - K.A.S.P. #Livingthegoodlife
• Mike Bone - Rain Dance
• Shawn Bertrand - Livin Like Stars
• Supaman - Gorilla
• Winnipeg Boyz - Ab Initio

Best Rock CD

• Ghost Town Orchestra - Dead Wait
• Iceis Rain - The Queen
• Kickin Krotch - Kickin Krotch
• Kristi Lane Sinclair - The Sea Alone
• When Darkness Falls - The Power

Single of the Year

• Desiree Dorion - Turn to Me
• Elisapie Isaac - Life is What You Make It
• Inez Jasper - Dancin on the Run
• Samantha Crain - Somewhere All the Time
• Shy-Anne - Be Your Girl

Best Television Program of Aboriginal Music

• Live From the Hundred Years Cafe
• The Candy Show
• Wabanaagig

Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year

• Cary Morin
• Dallas Arcand
• Gary Sappier
• Kasp
• Shy-Anne

Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year

• Desiree Dorion - Mama Got a Shotgun
• Donny Parenteau - Sun Shower
• Genevieve Fisher - Bad Enough
• Indian City - Colors
• Janet Panic - Somewhere Warm

Best Album Cover Design

• Indian City - Colors
• Inez Jasper - Burn Me Down
• JB the First Lady - Indigenous Girl LifeStyle
• Shy-Anne - Bones
• Utin Machiskinie and Lance Crowe - Life of Happiness

Best Blues CD

• Cary Morin - Streamline
• Gary Sappier - Who Ya Foolin
• Joel Johnson - Blues Joose Volume II
• Young Medicine - Be Your Own Person

Best Country CD

• Genevieve Fisher - Bad Enough
• Kelly Derrickson - Warriors of Love
• Leanne Goose - This Time
• Nelson Little - The Little Things
• Shy-Anne - Bones

Best Fiddle CD

• Boyd Benjamin - The FLying Gwitch in Fiddler
• Jason Lepine - Drivin' Force
• Midnight Mist - Still Going

Best Folk/Acoustic CD

• Diyet - When You Were King
• Janet Panic - Most of What Follows is True...
• Jasmine Netsena - Take You With Me
• Leonard Sumner - Rez Poetry
• Samantha Crain - Kid Face

Best Group or Duo

• Garry Sappier
• Ohiwisha
• Winnipeg Boyz
• Young Medicine

Best Hand Drum CD

• Cree Confederation - Piciciwin - Cree Round Dance Songs
• Fawn & Dalla - Blessings
• Nitanis 'Kit' Largo - Serenity
• Northern Cree - Ewipihcihk
• Poundmaker - The Way It Used to Be

Best International Indigenous Release

• Adonis Puentes - Sabor a Cafe
• H'Sao - Oria
• Laetitia Zonzambe - Sanza
• Saina & Geo- Songs of Gaia
• The Imbayakunas - Andean Sol

APCMA 2012 Award Winners: Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards

The 2012 APCMAs—the 7th annual Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards—took place November 1st and 2nd in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two nights of celebrating Indigenous music, one long list of winners! Here is a complete list of the 2012 APCMA award winners.

The Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards were handed out over the course of two nights this week in Winnipeg, and pop-country singer Shy-Anne Hovorka took home the most trophies, winning in all six categories in which she was nominated, including the prestigious Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year award:

Northwestern Ontario’s Shy-Anne Hovorka was the winner of six awards including Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year. Shy-Anne was nominated for six awards, and won all six. Three of the awards that Shy-Anne won were on Thursday night and three on Friday night.

Source: NNL

Hometown success, Winnipeg's own Don Amero also won big, taking home Male Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year as his first APCMA award, while Six Nations rocker Derek Miller took home the award for Best Blues CD for his work with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's band Double Trouble.

Check out the complete list of 2012 winners below.

Complete List of 2012 APCMA Award Winners

Best blues CD Derek Miller,  Derek Miller with Double Trouble

Best country CD Shy-Anne Hovorka, Interwoven Roots

Best hand drum CD Fawn Wood, Iskwewak

Best new artist Bruthers of Different Muthers

Best pow wow CD - traditional Young Bear, Keeping It Old Style 

Best rap/hip hop CD Lightningcloud, LightningCloud

Single of the year Shy-Anne Hovorka, The Glue

Aboriginal songwriter of the year Tracy Bone, Woman of Red

Aboriginal female entertainer of the year Shy-Anne Hovorka

Aboriginal male entertainer of the year Don Amero

Best album cover design Shy-Anne, Interwoven Roots

Best fiddle CD Wesley Hardisty, 12:12 

Best flute CD Dallas Arcand, Sacred Sweetgrass

Best folk/acoustic CD Janet Panic, Samples

Best gospel CD Yvonne St. Germaine, Tennessee Sky 

Best group or duo Northern Cree

Best instrumental CD Gabriel Ayala, Shades of Blue

Best music video Shy-Anne Hovorka, Too Young, Too Late

Best pop CD Indian City, Supernation

Best powwow CD — contemporary Northern Cree, Drum Boy — Mistikwaskink Napesis

Best producer/engineer Shy-Anne Hovorka

Best rock CD Sinuupa, Culture Shock

APCMA 2012 Nominees - Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year

An RPM YouTube Playlist of the APMCA 2012 nominees for Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year. Hoka.

Here's another RPM YouTube Playlist focusing on the nominees for the 2012 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards category of Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year. This list includes some of our most powerful female forces in today's Indigenous music culture. Enjoy.

Phyllis Sinclair - Washerwoman's Lament Shy-Anne Hovorka - The Glue Tagaq - (LIVE) Terri Clark - The One Tracy Bone - Women Of Red (LIVE)

APCMA 2012 Nominees - Best Music Video

We have an RPM YouTube playlist of the 2012 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards nominees for Best Music Video.

We've once again reached this chilly part of the year where we choose our favorites in the Aboriginal People's Choice Awards, and this year packs a great selection in all categories. Today we'll look at the nominees for Best Music Video in the 2012 APCMAs.

Beatrice Love - Dirty Game Donny Parenteau - Fiddle Back Cris Derksen - Pow.Wow.Wow Shy-Anne Hovorka - Too Young, Too Late Winnipeg's Most - Winnipeg Boy 

2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards Performance Lineup

The complete performance lineup for the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards has been announced.

The 2012 awards broadcast will feature performances by Juno award-winning blues artist Murray Porter, pop-country singer Shy-Anne Hovorka, Indigenous supergroup Indian City and rockers Bruthers of Different Muthers, multi-instrumentalist Donny Parenteau, fiddle player Wesley Hardisty and renowned hoop dancer and flute player Dallas Arcand.

The APCMAs will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 1st and 2nd, 2012. For the seventh year in a row, the awards will be hosted by actor and director Lorne Cardinal.

Online voting for this year's awards closed earlier in September, but here is the full list of this year's nominees: APCMA Nominees 2012.

As CBC Manitoba reported earlier:

"This year's lineup truly brings to life what we're trying to showcase with the festival," said Gloria Spence in a news release. Spence is the general manager of Manito Ahbee, the festival that produces the awards.

Tune in to APTN for the live broadcast of the music on November 2, 2012—and keep it locked to RPM for a full report on this year's award winners.

APCMA Nominees 2012

At a press conference in Winnipeg this morning, the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award nominees were announced. Read the full list of nominees here.

Following a first round of industry votes, the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) announced the official nominees and opened the polls to public voting this morning. To vote for your favourite artists, go to aboriginalpeopleschoice.com. Voting closes September 3rd, and the awards take place November 1st and 2nd in Winnipeg.

Congratulations to all the nominees from RPM! They are:

Best Album Cover Design Chippewa Travellers - Love/Zaagidwin Dallas Arcand - Cedar Flute Electronica: Modern Day Warrior Indian City - Supernation Janet Rogers - Got Your Back Lena Recollet - I Am Woman, Kwe Shy-Anne - Interwoven Roots

Best Blues CD Derek Miller - Derek Miller With Double Trouble Gary Farmer And The Troublemakers - Under The Watertower Joel Johnson - Blues Joose Vol. 1 Murray Porter - Songs Lived & Life Played Priscilla’s Revenge - 3rd Gear

Best Country CD Jerry Sereda - Turn The Country On Ron Loutit - Where I Come From Shy-Anne - Interwoven Roots Terri Clark - Roots And Wings Tracy Bone - Woman Of Red

Best Fiddle CD Blain Constant - Listening From Above Dallas Boyer - Music Metis Fiddler Quartet - North West Voyage Nord Ouest Midnite Mist - A Tribute To Bill Bryant Wesley Hardisty - 12:12

Best Flute CD Dallas Arcand - Sacred Sweetgrass Herman Edward - It’s About Time Tony Duncan - Earth Warrior

Best Folk / Acoustic CD Dark Water Rising - Dark Water Rising Dylan Rysstad - Ghost House Ghostkeeper - Ghostkeeper Janet Panic  - Samples Phyllis Sinclair - Dreams Of The Washerwomen

Best Gospel CD Becky Thomas - Sacred Ground Cheryl Bear - A’ba Dean Powder - Living Proof Yvonne St. Germaine  - Tennessee Sky

Best Group Or Duo Cree Confederation C-Weed Band Indian City Northern Cree Priscilla's Revenge

Best Hand Drum Cd Big River Cree - The Old Way Eastern Eagle - Softer Side Fawn Wood - Iskwewak Indigie Femme - Grandmother Earth, Grandfather Sky Nakoa Heavyrunner & Rocky Morin  - Medicine Line

Best Instrumental Cd Curt Young - Northern Equinox Dallas Arcand - Cedar Flute Electronica: Modern Day Warrior Gabriel Ayala - Shades Of Blue Jeari Czapla - Dear Leonardo Rev Hank - Longhorn

Best International Indigenous Artist Adam James Kiran Ahluwahlia Nrg Rising Steele

Best Music Video Beatrice Love - Dirty Game Donny Parenteau - Fiddleback Cris Derksen  - Pow Wow Wow Shy-Anne - Too Young, Too Late Winnipeg’s Most - Winnipeg Boy

Best New Artist Bruthers Of Different Muthers Indian City Jb The First Lady Kristi Lane Sinclair Lena Recollet

Best Pop Cd Don Amero - The Long Way Home Holly Mcnarland  - Run Body Run Indian City - Supernation Lena Recollet - I Am Woman, Kwe Will Belcourt - Epoch

Best Pow Wow Cd - Contemporary Black Bear - Spring Medicine Cree Confederation - Horse Dance - Mistatim Simoowin Northern Cree - Drum Boy - Mistikwaskink Napesis River Cree - River Cree Young Spirit - Live In Hinckley 2011

Best Pow Wow Cd - Traditional Chippewa Travellers - Love/Zaagidwin High Noon - Live In Brandon Mandaree Singers  - Mandaree Revisited Wild Band Of Comanches  - Wild Band Of Comanches Young Bear - Keeping It Old Style

Best Producer/Engineer Donny Parenteau Indian City Leanne Goose Shy-Anne Vince Fontaine

Best Rap / Hip Hop Cd Blu - No Way No How Lightning Cloud - Lightning Cloud Rellik - Mighty Mouth Tha Link - Tha Link Vibez - On My Way

Best Rock Cd Charles “Chucky” Keelan - Chucky ? Federal Lights - Carbon Quinton Moody - Worldwide Services Sinuupa - Culture Shock Tonemah - Mulligan

Single Of The Year Don Amero - Turn These Grey Skies Blue Indian City - Supernation Iskwe - Wandering Murray Porter - Rez Bluez Shy-Anne - The Glue

Aboriginal Songwriter Of The Year Bruthers Of Different Muthers - Speakers Of Tomorrow Donny Parenteau - Play On Holly Mcnarland - Alone’s Just Fine Indian City - Supernation Murray Porter - Is Sorry Enough? Tracy Bone - Woman Of Red

Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year Phyllis Sinclair Shy-Anne Tagaq Terri Clark Tracy Bone

Aboriginal Male Entertainer Of The Year Dallas Boyer Don Amero Jerry Sereda Kasp Murray Porter

Vote now at aboriginalpeopleschoice.com!

DOWNLOAD: Will Belcourt - "Obliterate"

While Will Belcourt's latest album Epoch garnered "Best Rock Album" nominations at both the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, his music reaches beyond that genre into blues, jazz and country, all with a base of electronic beats.

From Marlboro, Alberta, Belcourt bills himself as a singer/songwriter/guitar player/performer/recording artist/music producer/writer/director/producer - ie, a one man show and reconnaissance kind of guy. His deep, rough around the edges voice calls to us to "forget about tomorrow" and "scream along" and it's hard to resist - download this track to get out of your seat and raise the roof.

DOWNLOAD: Will Belcourt - "Obliterate"

Artist Call: APCMA Now Accepting Submissions

The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) are now accepting submissions for the artist and industry categories.

The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards celebrates the best in Aboriginal music from across Turtle Island and around the world. The yearly event is one of the biggest music parties in Indian Country to be sure, and this year the APCMAs have established a new voting process for selecting nominees.

• Round 1 of all APCMA categories will be juried by industry professionals. Each category jury will select up to five nominee.
• The general public will select the winners in each category by voting on the aboriginalpeopleschoice.com website in Round 2.

Applications are now open!  Apply by Friday, June 29, 2012 at 5:00PM (CST).

Download the APCMA Entry Form here: http://aboriginalpeopleschoice.com/umedia/2012_APCMA_Official_Entry_Form.pdf

The artistic/genre categories are:

• Best Blues CD
• Best Country CD
• Best Fiddle CD
• Best Flute CD
• Best Folk/Acoustic CD
• Best Francophone CD
• Best Gospel CD
• Best Hand Drum CD
• Best Instrumental CD
• Best Inuit CD
• Best Peyote CD
• Best Pop CD
• Best Pow Wow CD – Traditional
• Best Pow Wow CD –Contemporary
• Best Rap/Hip Hop CD
• Best Rock CD

The specialty categories are:

• Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year
• Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year
• Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year
• Best Aboriginal Music Radio Station/Program
• Best Album Cover Design
• Best Duo or Group
• Best International Indigenous Artist(This category for Indigenous Artists from  outside of North America)
• Best Music Video
• Best New Artist
• Best Producer/Engineer
• Best Television Program/ Promotion of Aboriginal Music
• Single of the Year

Mail submissions to: Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards 509 Century Street Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2J2

For more information: aboriginalpeopleschoice.com Jacquie Black or Sandy Fox Toll Free: 1-866-449-0251 Email: info@aboriginalpeopleschoice.com

New Documentary Mini-Series "8th Fire" Premieres on CBC

The new CBC series 8th Fire, hosted by Wab Kinew and featuring Winnipeg's Most amongst many other talented Indians, challenges the relationships between "us" and "them".

Tonight debuts the first episode of 8th Fire, the new, four-part CBC series exploring relationship building between Indigenous and settler society in Canada. Geared towards a much larger, non-Indigenous audience, the first episode is meant to introduce a broad cross-section of Aboriginal peoples to Canada and features rappers Winnipeg's Most, Taiaiake Alfred, and Evan Adams amongst others.

Winnipeg's Most, from Winnipeg, is no stranger to living in diverse communities. The city is known for not only its substantial Native population but also a wide variety of other ethnicities. Over the phone Jon-C states "we are hip-hop artists that are doing something that appeals to everyone, to people in other cities going through similar things." The group cleaned up at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards last November leaving with 6 major recognitions, but they are a mixed group themselves with Jon-C and Brooklyn (both Aboriginal) and Charlie Fettah (Irish).

Jon-C says the group was excited to be approached by CBC to participate in the documentary but they didn't realize the depth of what the show was about culturally until they had completed shooting. "We do US, make music, do shows. So we were just answering with honesty." Winnipeg's Most is honoured to attend the premiere screening party at IMAX Portage Place in Winnipeg tonight, and be able to share their story and their lives. "We came from rapping about the street and somehow we ended up being role-models. It feels good to be looked at as achievers, after coming from a place where under-achievement was expected 100%."

The host of 8th Fire, Wab Kinew (Ojibway from Onigaming First Nation) is an accomplished musician in how own right and became interested in dispelling myths after working on a personal piece for CBC's The National chronicling his father's residential school experience, the impacts in his family and later resolving its effects. Wab states in an article on cbc.ca "The big lesson I had learned, and that I shared with the producers, is that Canadians WILL empathize with Aboriginal people if we let them walk a mile in our moccasins." After going through the process of filming 8TH Fire he reflects "my Aboriginal side and my non-aboriginal side are getting along better than ever."

Featuring a score by Cris Derkson and a wide range of other interesting characters, get the full deal at the comprehensive cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire.

The first episode airs Thursday January 12 at 9 pm on CBC-TV and Friday January 13 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network.

Watch the 8th Fire preview and below that, check out the 12 minute story CBC's The National aired last night on Winnipeg's Most:

Troubled Past, Promising Future:

RPM Highlights from the 2011 APCMAs and Aboriginal Music Week

Aboriginal Music Week (AMW) and the APCMAs (Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards) are two of the biggest Indigenous music events on Turtle Island - musicians, fans and industry alike travel to Winnipeg every November for the shows, the awards and the schmooze. This year I was finally able to attend for the first time.

And it was exactly the party and community vibe that I had heard about for years! From the time I landed in the Winnipeg airport to my departure two days later, there were friendly and familiar faces from the world of Indigenous music in nearly every place I stepped.

I arrived Thursday - Aboriginal Music Week had already been in full swing for two days and the first half of the APCMAs were already taking place - and headed to The Windsor Hotel, site of Tracy Bone and JC Campbell's All My Relations stage. They've been hosting this multi-night stage for a few years now and I was thrilled to be invited to perform as part of it. Tracy and JC bookend the night with sets of their country-music duo and in between other artists take the stage. After my set, Gabriel Ayala performed and while I've listened to his classical guitar music and been amazed, I was even moreso impressed and inspired by his live performance. His original compositions in particular were especially beautiful - the man has chops! In coversation, he is delightfully funny, charming and lighthearted to chat with and it was lovely to meet him.

Meanwhile, two other venues in town were presenting Aboriginal Music Week programming. It was a fantastic challenge, having to decide which artists to catch at which venue, but I stayed put at the Windsor for the night, and enjoyed making new friends. They don't call it friendly Manitoba for nothing.

On Friday I stopped by the Manitoba Music offices to pick up my festival pass and scope the place out. Manitoba has great arts funding and it shows in the space and resources Manitoba Music provides. I chatted with Alan Greyeyes and hopped in a cab to NCI FM - the famed Aboriginal-owned/operated radio station that broadcasts 24/7 and hosts the National Aboriginal Countdown. Of all the radio stations I've visited and had interviews on-air with, NCI was one of the best. Their entire crew was friendly and enthusiastic, the coffee was good and they even gave me a lift back to my hotel. Thank you NCI!

Next I dolled up for the big event - the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards gala. Held at the MTS Centre and broadcast live on APTN, this event is undeniably huge.

The backstage pre-show reception was buzzing with good conversations and connections and Cris Derksen, Kristi Lane Sinclair, Iskwé and I strutted on the red carpet together. As Cris Derksen's date, she and I were in the 6th row for the awards, next to the lovely Leela Gilday - a great vantage point for the night.

Derek Miller opened the show with a killer number which set the tone for a high energy evening. All of the live performances were fantastic that night, especially Maori duo Pacific Curls and Ghostkeeper. 

Leela Gilday's heartfelt and articulate acceptance speech for Female Entertainer of the Year was a highlight as well, as was Black Bear's for Best Powwow - Contemporary seen here:

Manitoba-based artists were definitely the big winners of the night and I wonder about the local voting influence on the national awards always being presented and hosted by Manitoba. Here's Winnipeg's Most who won all 6 awards they were nominated for (they were looking good in those suits!):

Afterwards the backstage party spread to The Windsor, The Reagal Beagle and The Pyramid Cabaret for more fantastic live music and the celebration lasted all night long. I was sad to have to leave on Saturday, missing the powwow and the final night of Aboriginal Music Week's concerts.

I will definitely go back next year - I left inspired by the music, filled with great conversation, excited about all the new connections made and above all in love with our Indigenous music community. Huge thanks and appreciation go out to Manito Ahbee and Manitoba Music for successfully pulling off all of these events. Alan Greyeyes was thanked multiple times on stage during the APCMAs and I'll add my voice to that gratitude wholeheartedly.

For a great visual summary of Aboriginal Music Week, check out official AMW photographer Red Works Studio's album on Facebook.

For more on the APCMAs, see Complete List of 2011 APCMA Winners: Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.

2011 APCMA Winners: Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards

The 2011 APCMAS—the 6th Annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards—were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 3rd and 4th, 2011. Awards were handed out across a wide range of musical categories and here is the complete list of the award winners.

The biggest winner, by far, was the Indigenous hip-hop group Winnipeg's Most, who took home 6 awards.

The local hip-hop group won six APCMAs over the course of two nights, walking away with awards for best duo or group, best producer/engineer, best music video for All That I Know, best album cover design for GoodFellaz, best rap/hip-hop CD for the same album and single of the year for Don’t Stop.

The haul adds to the three APCMAs it won last year on the strength of their self-titled album.

More than 57,000 people from around the world voted online to nominate and choose winners in 21 different categories as diverse as best pow wow CD, best hand drum CD, best flute CD and best peyote (traditional) CD.

Read more from the Winnipeg Free Press: Hip-hop group Winnipeg's Most sweeps Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards

Also taking home multiple awards were Mohawk blues musician Derek Miller who won two awards for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year and Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year and newcomer Ali Fontaine who also won two awards for Best New Artist and Best Country CD for her 2011 self-titled release.

Dene singer-songwriter Leela Gilday also won for Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year. In advance of her win, she spoke to CBC about her pride in being supported by her nation and her people:

Before the awards were handed out, Gilday said she was eager for a win.

“I’m really hoping that the whole Dene Nation got online and voted for me,” Gilday said with a laugh. “But essentially, it just means that I have the support of my people so that’s a really awesome thing.”

Complete List of 2011 APCMA Award Winners

Best Duo or Group: Winnipeg’s Most (Winnipeg)

Best Producer/Engineer: Winnipeg’s Most (Winnipeg)

Best Music Video: Winnipeg’s Most, All That I Know (Winnipeg)

Best Aboriginal Music Radio Station/Program: Think NDN (Vancouver)

Best Album Cover Design: Winnipeg’s Most, GoodFellaz (Winnipeg)

Best Folk /Acoustic CD: Little Hawk, Vigilance (Winnipeg)

Best Flute CD: Jacob Pratt, Eagle Call (Regina)

Best Fiddle CD: Mark Morrisseau, Favourites (St. Francois Xavier)

Best Peyote CD: Kelly Daniels, Blessing from a Hummingbird (Saskatoon)

Best Instrumental CD: Vince Fontaine, Songs for Turtle Island (Winnipeg)

Best Hand Drum CD: Big River Cree, Stand by Me (Saskatoon)

Best Rock CD: Bruthers of Different Muthers, Speakers of Tomorrow (Winnipeg)

Best Country CD: Ali Fontaine, Ali Fontaine (Sagkeeng)

Best Rap /Hip Hop CD: Winnipeg’s Most, GoodFellaz (Winnipeg)

Best Pow Wow CD, Contemporary: Black Bear, Out of Hibernation (Manawan, Que.)

Best Pow Wow CD, Traditional: Blackstone, Live in Alexis (Duffield, Alta.)

Best New Artist: Ali Fontaine (Sagkeeng)

Single of the Year: Winnipeg’s Most, Don’t Stop (Winnipeg)

Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year: Derek Miller, Stoned For Days (Six Nations, Ont.)

Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year: Derek Miller (Six Nations, Ont.)

Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year: Leela Gilday (Yellowknife, N.W.T.)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Errol Ranville (Winnipeg)

See more of RPM's coverage of the Manito Ahbee Festival and the 2011 APCMAs—and stay tuned for more updates on the 2011 APCMA winners.