NAMMY nominations announced

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2001

A veritable who's who in the Native music industry is represented in this year's nominees for the fourth annual Native American Music Awards, affectionately known as the NAMMYs.

Topping out the list, released this week, are the picks Artist of the Year category. Cheyenne flutist Joseph Fire Crow, Oneida songstress Joanne Shenandoah, party favorite Keith Secola, Canadian Aboriginal Mishi Donovan and Taos Pueblo flute-rocker Robert Mirabal will be battling it out for the highly-coveted award.

For Fire Crow and Shenandoah, their nomination comes on the heels of being considered for the first-ever Native music GRAMMY. Presented in February, the award went to Tom Bee and Douglas Spotted Eagle for producing the "Gathering of Nations" pow-wow soundtrack.

Fire Crow received nods in the Flutist of the Year category for "Cheyenne Nation." For "Peacemaker's Journey," Shenandoah is up for Best New Age Recording as well as Songwriter of the Year, a category she shares with Annie Humphrey, Indigenous guitarist Mato Nanji, Mirabal and Arigon Starr.

Starr, better known as Indian Country's favorite Diva, is also up for Best Female Artist, Best Pop/Rock Recording and Song/Single of the Year. With four major nominations, Starr's "Wind-Up" is well represented in this year's slate.

Indigenous is also a multiple nominee, including Best Blues Recording and Record of the Year for "Circle." The Yankton Sioux group has been on tour non-stop for more than a year in support of the release and will be playing next week during the Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico.

Indian Country's rising stars are being celebrated with the Debut Artist/Group of the Year category. Flutist Charles Littleleaf, Navajo singer Delphine Tsinajinnie, Mohawk Lawrence Laughing, Laura Satterfield of Walela fame and the Thunder Hawk Singers are being considered for the award.

Tsinajinnie, who had her network television debut in a CBS movie last year, is also nominated for Best Female Artist and Best Traditional Recording for "Mother's Word."

For the pow-wow set, all the big names are nominated in the Best Pow Wow Recording category. "Ain't Nothin' But An 'E' Thang" by Eyabay, "Live From Tornado Alley!" by Tha Tribe, "Pikuni Style" by the Kicking Women Singers, "Rockin The Rez" by Northern Cree and "Veterans Songs" by Lakota Thunder are this year's picks.

"Veterans Songs" had also been nominated for a GRAMMY.

The location and date of this year's show is yet to be announced, said the Native American Music Awards association, which is based in New York. For the second year in a row, the show took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last November.

The first show took place at the Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation in Connecticut. The tribe has been a major supporter of the NAMMYs.

Tune in to Indianz.Com in the coming weeks for a spotlight on all the major Native American Music Award nominees.

Relevant Links:
The Native American Music Awards - www.nativeamericanmusic.com