Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards

First Round of Winners Announced


Winnipeg, Manitoba (November 4, 2010) -- The 5th annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards celebrated the first round of winners at the RBC Ohshkii Awards Night.


The event took place this evening in Winnipeg, in the spectacular Grand Ballroom at Fort Garry Place, with emcees Lisa Meeches and Ray St. Germain. The event opened with blessings from Elder Colin Mousseau, and an honour song from Walter Bonaise. Twelve awards were presented, with performances by The Pappy Johns Blues Band, Jerry Sereda, Shy-Anne, Digging Roots and Black Rain. And the winners (marked below with **and in italics) are:


BEST DUO OR GROUP

BLACK RAIN (SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN)

DIGGING ROOTS (TORONTO, ONTARIO)

EAGLE & HAWK (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

ERIC & WINSTON WUTTUNEE (SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN) 

THE JOHNNYS (GORE BAY, ONTARIO)

**WINNIPEG’S MOST (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)


BEST PRODUCER/ENGINEER

BILLY JOE GREEN (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

EAGLE & HAWK (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

KRISTI LANE SINCLAIR (VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

LUCIE IDLOUT (IQALUIT, NUNAVUT)

**SHY-ANNE (THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO)

WAB KINEW (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)


BEST MUSIC VIDEO

ANDREA MENARD | Evergreen (REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN)

**BUFFY SAINTE MARIE | No No Keshegesh (QU'APPELLE VALLEY, SASKATCHEWAN)

DIGGING ROOTS | Spring To Come (TORONTO, ONTARIO)

GEORGE LEACH | You Got It (ISKUT FIRST NATION, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

JANET PANIC | Out on a Limb (SECHELT, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

KINNIE STARR | It’s All You (CALGARY, ALBERTA)


BEST ALBUM COVER DESIGN

BLACKFOOT CONFEDERACY | Hail to the Chiefs (SADDLE LAKE, ALBERTA)

BONNIE COUCHIE | Feather for an Elephant (PIC RIVER, ONTARIO)

CHIPPEWA TRAVELLERS | All My Relations: Kina naag dawen daagnak (SUDBURY, ONTARIO)

DON AMERO | Deepening (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

**JASON BURNSTICK | Where The Blood Mixes (PAUL FIRST NATION, ALBERTA)


BEST ABORIGINAL MUSIC RADIO STATION/PROGRAM

AB-ORIGINALS (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

ACROSS TURTLE ISLAND (WHITEFISH, MONTANA)

**NATIONAL ABORIGINAL MUSIC COUNTDOWN – NCI FM (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)


BEST BLUES CD

CURT YOUNG | Edge of Shadow (GORDON FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)

**DIGGING ROOTS | We Are (TORONTO, ONTARIO)

THE PAPPY JOHNS BLUES BAND | Havin’ A Good Time Now (ONSWEKEN, ONTARIO)


BEST FIDDLE CD

ALEX LAMOUREUX | Groove (COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

**JACINTHE TRUDEAU | Jacinthe Trudeau (SUDBURY, ONTARIO)

**JJ LAVALLEE | A Fiddle Bit of This & A Fiddle Bit of That (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

RYAN KEPLIN | Fiddling Lefty Twist (BELCOURT, NORTH DAKOTA)

THE GAUDRY BOYS | The Acadian Jig (ST LAURENT, MANITOBA)


BEST GOSPEL CD

BRIAN STONER | Ponca Hymns (TUCSON, ARIZONA)

DARRELL “BOOTS” MCCALLUM | Rejoicing In Cree II (PELICAN NARROWS FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)

DARRELL “BOOTS” MCCALLUM | The Old Country Church (PELICAN NARROWS FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)

PHILIP FLETT | Prophets of Old (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

**YVONNE ST. GERMAINE | My Jesus I Love Thee (SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN)


BEST PEYOTE CD

CECILE MOOSOMIN | A Time For Healing (MOSQUITO GRIZZLY BEARS HEAD FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)

LANCE CROWE & EDMOND POOCHAY | First Nations Ceremonial Church Peyote Songs Volume 1 (TUCSON, ARIZONA)

LOUIE GONNIE | Rhythms Within a Turqoise Dream (SUN VALLEY, ARIZONA)

**SACRED HARMONIES | Dakota/Lakota Traditional Church Songs (YANKTON DAKOTA RESERVATION, NORTH DAKOTA)

WANITA BIRD | For Our Children Volume 2 (AHTAHKAKOOP FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)


BEST RAP / HIP HOP CD

FILTHY ANIMALS | Sounds of Nature (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

REDDNATION | Grown Folk Muzik (EDMONTON, ALBERTA)

SKELPA SQUAD | The Thief & Counzil (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

**WINNIPEG’S MOST | Winnipeg’s Most (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

YOUNG KIDD | 10x10 (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)


BEST ROCK CD

BLACK RAIN | Under The Gun (SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN) 

COLETTE TRUDEAU | Colette Trudeau (MAPLE RIDGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

**EAGLE & HAWK | The Great Unknown (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

LUCIE IDLOUT | Swagger (IQALUIT, NUNAVUT)

WAYNE LAVALLEE | Trail of Tears (VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA)


SINGLE OF THE YEAR

JOEY STYLEZ | Kool Runnin (MOOSOMIN FIRST NATION, SASKATCHEWAN)

**SHANE YELLOWBIRD | Barefeet On The Blacktop (HOBBEMA, ALBERTA)

SHY-ANNE | Pseudo (THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO)

WINNIPEG’S MOST | All That I Know (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)

YOUNG KIDD | Hometown (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)


ABOUT MANITO AHBEE


The Manito Ahbee Festival celebrates and showcases Aboriginal music, art and culture, with the 5th annual festival taking place in Winnipeg from November 3 to 7. Manito Ahbee – which means ‘where the Creator sits’ – honours a sacred site in Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park where Aboriginal people have gathered for hundreds of years to share teachings and wisdom. There are several petroforms at this site including one shaped like a turtle that represents Turtle Island, another name for North America. Manito Ahbee was recognized in 2007 with Travel Manitoba’s Tourism Award in the category of Aboriginal Tourism. The Board of Governors, staff and organizers of Manito Ahbee express deep gratitude for all participants, supporters and communities who have come together to make the festival what it is today. www.manitoahbee.com