On Friday, November 3rd at the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, music fans will witness history in the making with the inaugural Aboriginal People\'s Choice (APC) Music Awards.
Honouring the best in Aboriginal music, this spectacular gala event will feature performances by the best Aboriginal recording artists from across the continent, playing unforgettable music for fans of all nations. Making this event even more unique is how technology is being used to introduce and share aboriginal music and culture with all Canadians and audiences around the world.
According to Errol Ranville, Executive Producer of the Manito Ahbee Festival and APC Music Awards, this is the first time that online voting will be used for an awards show of this caliber. "It is also a first for the Aboriginal community, where people from every nation - the fans, can participate in selecting their favourite artists. The people will truly decide” he stated.
IBM and Function Four, a Winnipeg-based technology company, are each playing key roles in ensuring that the technology behind the awards runs efficiently and effectively. Providing a full range of technology solutions, both companies have...
Winnipeg label Arbor Records has recently signed Susan Aglukark to its roster. Arbor will release Aglukark\'s latest album, Blood Red Earth, nationally on August 8. The album will be released in the U.S. in October 2006 via Allegro Corporation and will be available for worldwide downloads through IODA, an industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community.
A three-time Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter and Order of Canada recipient, Aglukark already has five albums to her credit. She is considered one of Canada\'s most unique artists and a leading voice in Canadian music, blending the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements. Aglukark has performed for numerous dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth, Prime Ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney, and Nelson Mandela. Aglukark is also well-known as a workshop facilitator and mentor in the Aboriginal community.
Arbor has been a leader in producing and distributing Aboriginal music throughout Canada and the U.S. since it was started in 1993. Founded by Juno-winnipg producer Brandon Friesen - who also owns 441 Studios - Arbor was recognized as one of...
Gerry McIvor and Aaron Peters & The Mosquitoes will be joining headliners Eagle & Hawk and Derek Miller on Saturday, July 22, 2006 for Rez Fest in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. This day-long festival has been hosted by the Arrowhead Development Corporation and Long Plain First Nation’s Rez Radio 101.7 FM since 2001 and was originally established to celebrate the station’s first anniversary.
Now in its fifth year, Rez Fest has expanded its mandate and seeks to promote the best Aboriginal music in Canada and introduce new artists to Aboriginal music fans. “We’ve got Juno Award, Canadian Aboriginal Music Award, and Indian Summer Music Award winners this year,” says Tim Daniels, General Manager of the Arrowhead Development Corporation. “I think people are going to come because they’ll be able to see the best music from Aboriginal Canada.”
To support new and emerging artists, Daniels plans to open the stage up between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. “If anyone is interested in performing before the show, they can call me or just show up,” he explains. “The only thing is, they’ll still need to buy a ticket to get in.”
In previous years, Rez Fest has featured Aboriginal stars like...
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: NOON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006
MARIA is planning the release of Manitoba Roots, a promotional compilation CD, in October of 2006. It will be targeted to the folk, roots, and traditional music industry professionals. The CD will be distributed in Canada to 700 folk festival presenters, managers, labels, and other professionals through the annual Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference in Ottawa this fall. It will also go to roughly 200 media nation-wide, as well as distributed to key industry present at the North American Folk Alliance Conference to be held in Memphis, TN in February. MARIA gets these CDs into the hands of managers, labels, agents, festivals, publishers, campus and club buyers, radio programmers, publicists, music journalists, as well as many others who can help your career.
YOU MUST BE A MARIA MEMBER TO APPLY. For more information on MARIA membership, email info@manitobamusic.com, or call 975.5190.
To have your track included for consideration, please submit:
· Press kit
· CD with track name, number, and length clearly indicated
· 20-word bio
· Contact information: artist contact name, phone, email, website
·...
Native American Music Awards winner, Eagle & Hawk has received three nominations for its latest release, Life Is... at the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA). The group has the opportunity to bring home trophies for Alternative Rock, Classic Rock and Contemporary Instrumental. It will be the third year in a row that the rocker act has earned the respect of the Native American industry folks of the Midwestern states.
The ISMA are held during the Indian Summer Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This annual event is marketed as the largest Native American festival in North America and draws close to 70,000 visitors to the Summerfest Grounds on the western shore of Lake Michigan each year.
Aboriginal recording artists from Manitoba netted 13 nominations at the ISMA last year. The nominees were: Burnt - Project 1, Eagle & Hawk, Billy Joe Green, Spirit of the Nations, Cal Richard, Rayne DeLaronde, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, Little Hawk, Longhouse, Red Shadow Singers, and Sierra Noble. Eagle & Hawk and Spirit of the Nations won in the Alternative Rock and Contemporary Instrumental categories, respectively.
The Aboriginal Music Program was able to access funding from...
Few things say “music industry” more than golfing. You heard us: golfing.
The last two years of MARIA’s golf event, Rockin’ the Greens, have been fantastic and this year’s edition promises to be bigger and better. Come and enjoy an afternoon of fun and frivolity. Not a golfer? Not a problem. MARIA organizes this event to bring its members and friends together to network, have a few laughs and loads of fun. This tournament will be formatted as a Texas scramble (i.e. best ball), which is a fun easy way to play.
The golf event will take place on September 17 at the Wildwood Golf Club (761 North Drive).
Click here to download the sponsorship form.
Click here to download the registration form.
We are looking for prize donations; festival passes, marketing advice, studio time, gift certificates, merchandise. We are open to your suggestions and appreciate your generosity. We are also looking for hole sponsors. If you are interested in donating prizes or becoming a sponsor, contact us at info@manitobamusic.com
or call 975.5190.
Stay tuned for more information. Meanwhile, practice your swing...
TIMES
Registration: 11:30am-12:45pm
Shotgun start: 1:00pm...
JC Campbell, Tracy Bone, the Freebird Band and C-Weed are some of the Aboriginal recording artists that will be entertaining multiple crowds on National Aboriginal Day this year in Winnipeg. Their performances will be part of four different celebrations around the city, hosted by the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee (Manito Ahbee Festival), Aboriginal Languages of Manitoba, the National Aboriginal Day Selkirk Avenue Committee and a partnership between Strongfront A/V Productions, Terminus1525.ca and NCI FM.
National Aboriginal Day provides all Canadians with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. It’s held each year on June 21, which is also the summer solstice, a significant day for many Aboriginal groups across the country. This annual celebration was first introduced in 1982 by the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) and was entitled the National Aboriginal Solidarity Day, reflecting the civil rights mantra of the group.
The Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee event will be held at the Red River Exhibition Grounds and offers a sneak peak into the...
Winnipeg rock act Eagle & Hawk was honoured at the Native American Music Awards (Nammys), where its album Mother Earth was named Best Pop/Rock Recording. The Nammys, which took place in Florida on June 8, are North American’s most prestigious awards honouring achievements by Aboriginal artists across the globe.
Eagle & Hawk has been riding on a wave of success from both Mother Earth and its latest release, Life Is..., which was nominated for a 2006 JUNO Award for Best Aboriginal Recording. The quintet has won two Indian Summer Music Awards (2004 and 2005), three Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (2004) and has been recognized by Junos and the Western Canadian Music Awards in the last two years alone.
Eagle & Hawk’s hit “Sundancer” was also up for a Nammy for Song/Single of the Year. Audiences in Florida were treated to a live performance of the nominated song at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Eagle & Hawk was the only Canadian act to perform at the eighth annual awards show.
Two other local acts were up for Nammys this year, including multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Award-winning folk artist Little Hawk and the Red Shadow Singers, nominated for Native...
Manitoba’s “Heavy Techno Pow Wow” signature, X-Status has won the honor of representing our province on the new Dig Your Roots – Aboriginal compilation CD. The group’s crunching ode to the resilience of First Nations people, Still Around, is one of 15 tracks on the new disc.
“Of course we’re definitely glad we were selected,” explains X-Status frontman Jesse Green. “We’re always looking to promote nationally and the Dig Your Roots CD will give us national exposure.”
Congratulations are also in order for two of our AMP Camp alumni. Edward Snowball (aka Sinuupa) and Sandy Scofield were also included on the compilation.
The Dig Your Roots – Aboriginal CD features three representatives from a five region split of the country. There is a fantastic range of talent on the disc and a number of genres are represented quite well. The disc includes:
Juno-winning rock act Eagle & Hawk will be making its way to the Native American Music Awards or NAMMYS next month. The group is the only Canadian act scheduled to perform during the show, which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on June 8, 2006.
“We’re really excited to go down there for a couple of reasons,” explains bandleader Vince Fontaine. “It gives us an opportunity to play in front of a new audience, access the US market and network.”
The NAMMYS are in their eighth year of operation and according to their official website, the show has been earning a great reputation in the American music industry. Their latest press release includes a quote from the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, which compares their production value and professionalism to those of the Grammy Awards and American Music Awards.
These sentiments were echoed to Fontaine by an established Native American recording artist who has attended the event in the past. “I spoke with Keith Secola (known for the Native American classic “Indian Car”) and he was saying that the NAMMYS are really picking up momentum,” Fontaine says. “A lot of...
Strongfront Audio/Visual recently picked up shop and moved to some new digs in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. The company, owned and operated by the indestructible rocker Jesse Green, produces video and provides a full range of services to Aboriginal recording artists.
“I’m excited about the business expansion and getting into our new space,” says Green. “We just got about $80,000 in new equipment and we’re looking forward serving the Aboriginal economy across Canada.”
Strongfront has been in operation for the last 5 years. Its video production work includes broadcast, industrial video, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Its sound recording includes full services for Aboriginal blues, country, rock, folk and even hip hop.
The Strongfront brand is currently expanding and now includes a record label. “We plan to record, market and distributed Aboriginal Canada’s top artists,” he says. “Only the best will be released.”
Under Strongfront Records, full albums for Billy Joe Green, JC Campbell and X-Status are in the works along with a demo for hip hop artist, Wab Kinew of Dead Indians and Slangblossom accolades.
MARIA members Billy Joe Green, X-Status and Dead Indians are some of the local artists who will be performing for the Robertson-Wood Family Fundraiser this Friday, May 12, 2006 at the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg. “We’re hoping to raise enough money to bring our two boys with us to Edmonton for our three-year-old daughter’s open heart surgery,” explains Calvin Wood, the event organizers and proactive father. “If we raise more than we need, we’re going to make a donation to the Variety Heart Foundation... they pretty much saved our daughter’s life.”
Wood’s daughter was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a condition that the American Heart Association states, “...is usually fatal within the first days or months or life unless it's treated” (www.americanheart.org). Treatment for Wood’s daughter’s condition must be handled in phases and the three-year-old has had two surgeries already.
“I think that the recent history of the Anishinabe people includes too many broken families and it’s important for us to keep our families together as much as possible and break that cycle,” explains Anishinabe bluesman Billy Joe Green. “That’s why I want to perform and show my...
AMP Camp was recently profiled in the spring issue of the Spirit of Aboriginal Youth Magazine (SAY). The article is entitled “AMP Camp: Amplify your life!” and it provides an overview of the project. The submission process, workshop topics and music industry veterans who shared their experience and expertise with the group over the course of the week are identified along with the host organizations, MARIA’s Aboriginal Music Program and the Canada Council for the Arts.
“AMP Camp provided 23 Aboriginal recording artists with a chance to participate in songwriting circles, further develop their understanding of music and chord theory and learn how to deal with a number of music industry challenges,” explains Aboriginal Music Program Coordinator Alan Greyeyes. “I’m glad we had the opportunity to share a bit about what happened during the week with SAY Magazine and Aboriginal youth across the country.”
The photos of Don Amero (Manitoba), Leanne Goose (Northwest Territories), Curtis Peeteetuce (Saskatchewan) and Gail Obediah (Ontario) are featured in the article along with testimonials from each of them about their experience at AMP Camp. The AMP Camp group photo is included...
The Dead Indians and Team Rezofficial recently completed a week-long tour of Native American communities in the southwestern United States in late April. In the spirit of hip-hop’s efforts to reclaim socio-economic labels, the tour was titled “The CIB Tour,” standing for Certificate of Indian Blood, a U.S. Government classification for Native American status.
Team Rezofficial performed at all the shows, which included stops in Los Angeles, Tucson, Tempe, Flagstaff, Kayenta, Farmington and Albuquerque, while the Dead Indians left a little piece of Winnipeg’s Westend everywhere but LA. Tom Crier (Team Rezofficial), Wab Kinew (Dead Indians) and Kenny Ross (Dead Indians) also participated in two speaking panels about Native people and hip-hop at the Arizona State University and the Northern Arizona University.
Both groups represented Manitoba and Canada very well, often headlining or marking the high points of each show. “We got a huge fan base down there,” explains Kinew. “We would sensor ourselves at the all ages shows, but all the kids already knew the words and filled them in for each song. It was pretty deadly.”
The tour included one other Canadian act and up...
Winnipeg will be home to a new music awards show celebrating the best in Aboriginal music from Canada, it was announced on April 18. The Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee (MAMHC) announced the creation of the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) at a press conference. APCMA will take place during Manito Ahbee: A Festival For All Nations on November 3, 2006 at the MTS Centre.
Manito Ahbee runs November 2 to 5 in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre, and consists of five main components – International Competition Pow Wow, Education Day, Music Festival, Indigenous Marketplace & Trade Show, and the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.
“We are thrilled to be launching the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards – the first awards show of its kind – and the opportunity to showcase Aboriginal music to the rest of the world,” sais Errol Ranville, Executive Producer of Manito Ahbee, in a press release.
“The goal of the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards is to expose Aboriginal recording artists to a national fan base, music industry, and media. Our intent is to give Aboriginal artists increased profile, and bring the artists, industry and fans closer together....
Two local acts are up for trophies at the Native American Music Awards (NAMMY), a U.S. awards show. Juno-winning rock outfit Eagle & Hawk and multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Award-winning folk artist Little Hawk are both up for awards at the 8th annual celebrations.
Eagle & Hawk, which was nominated for another Juno this year for Best Aboriginal Recording, is up for two NAMMYs, for Best Pop/Rock Recording for its latest effort Mother Earth and Song/Single of the Year for "Sundancer."
Little Hawk, who recently took home two Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for 1492-1975, is up for the Native Heart award.
The NAMMYs feature a diverse group of over 125 nominees with origins as far as Alaska and Hawaii and New Zealand in 25 categories. NAMMY is a leading membership-based association composed of artists, music industry professionals, and other professionals dedicated to promoting and preserving Aboriginal music through the United States and around the world. The NAMMYs will take place in Florida on June 8.
With planning well underway for Manito Ahbee: A Festival For All Nations, the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee announced that an inaugural music awards event will take place at the festival.
Manito Ahbee runs November 2 to November 5 in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre, and consists of five main components – International Competition Pow Wow, Education Day, Music Festival, Indigenous Marketplace & Tradeshow, and the new awards program.
“The Manito Ahbee Festival, including the new awards program, will be of a scope that hasn’t been seen in Winnipeg before,” according to the Festival’s Executive Producer Errol Ranville. “We will be taking public awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal music and culture to a whole new level.”
Manito Ahbee is adding the new awards event after the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA) organization in Ontario was unable to bring the CAMAs to Winnipeg in 2006. “With November fast approaching, we are excited to move forward with plans for Manito Ahbee including the new awards program. CAMA has advised us that they need more time to wrestle with the challenges of moving their awards show outside of Toronto, and we respect their decision...
Manitoba acts are bringing home three glass trophies from Halifax. The Duhks, Burnt and Amanda Falk were each triumphant in their respective categories at the non-televised 2006 Juno Gala Dinner and Awards on April 1, making 2006 the best year for Manitoba in more than six years.
Celtic roots darlings The Duhks kept Manitoba\'s folk reputation going this year by picking up Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group), which was won by Winnipeg\'s own Wailin\' Jennys last year.
Christian singer/songwriter Amanda Falk, a relative newcomer, won Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for her self-titled debut.
Burnt\'s album Hometown was named Aboriginal Recording of the Year over fellow Manitoba competitors bluesman Billy Joe Green and past Juno winning rock act Eagle & Hawk.
Manitoba netted eight nods at this years\' Juno Awards and sent three acts to perform at JunoFest, a two-night music festival featuring over 100 bands.
Other 2006 nominees included composer Robert Turner, acclaimed violinist James Ehnes and blue rock trio The Perpetrators. The televised portion of the 35th Annual Juno Awards will take place on April 2nd in Halifax, Nova Scotia and...
Eight local artists have been nominated for the 2006 JUNO Awards, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced on February 15, making this another strong year for the Manitoba music industry. The 35th Annual Juno Awards will take place on April 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and will be broadcast nationwide live on CTV.
Internationally-acclaimed Celtic fusion quintet The Duhks is up for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) for its self-titled release on Sugar Hill Records. The Duhks have been riding a wave of success for the last three years, including a song contribution to Grammy-winning multi-artist compilation Beautiful Dreamer. The band - which took home a 2005 Western Canadian Music Award in October for Outstanding Roots Recording - has been in Nashville recording its third album co-produced by Grammy-winning Gary Paczosa (Dixie Chicks, Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton). Folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys brought home the award last year.
No stranger to the Juno nominations, Brandon violinist James Ehnes is up for Best Classical Album (Solo or Chamber Ensemble) which he brought home in 2003 and 2001. Acclaimed composer Robert Turner, another...
Native American Music Awards winners, Eagle & Hawk have received three nominations for their latest release, Life Is... at the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA). The group has the opportunity to bring home trophies for Alternative Rock, Classic Rock and Contemporary Instrumental. It will be the third year in a row that the rockers have earned the respect of the Native American industry folks of the Midwestern states, if they win.
The ISMA are held during the Indian Summer Music Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This annual event is marketed as the largest Native American festival in North America and draws close to 70,000 of visitors to the Summerfest Grounds on the western shore of Lake Michigan each year.
Aboriginal recording artists from Manitoba netted 13 nominations at the ISMA last year. The nominees were: Burnt - Project 1, Eagle & Hawk, Billy Joe Green, Spirit of the Nations, Cal Richard, Rayne DeLaronde, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, Little Hawk, Longhouse, Red Shadow Singers, and Sierra Noble. Eagle & Hawk and Spirit of the Nations won in the Alternative Rock and Contemporary Instrumental categories, respectively.
Winter may be warmer than usual right now, but it\'s nowhere near as nice as the palm trees of Cannes, France. Representatives from Smallman Records, Arbor Records, Balanced Records, C12 Records, Rising Sun Productions and Olesia Records are enjoying the French coast while creating and solidifying new business opportunities. For the 40th year, Cannes plays host to the world’s largest international music market, MIDEM, where about 10,000 music professionals from across the globe converge, network, do business and attend daily conferences. And if the Manitoban delegation wants to get a good night’s sleep, it might want to skip out on MIDEM’s non-stop tradeshow and impressive concerts.
The sheer number of music-related people and businesses in attendance is can be an overwhelming element of MIDEM, but many of this year’s Manitoban participants are experiencing MIDEM for the second or third time. This allows such labels as Smallman to maximize developing business relationships by meeting many of their international contacts in person after extensive electronic dealings. MIDEM has proved key to Manitoba labels in continuing to export local music beyond our Canadian borders...
Manitoba was the big winner at the 2005 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA). Six local acts took home a total of eight awards at the gala event in Toronto on November 25, including double winners Little Hawk and Ryan D’Aoust. The annual event, now in its seventh year, is held to honour the achievements of outstanding Aboriginal musicians and industry members in Canada.
Little Hawk, aka Blue Bomber Troy Westwood, took home trophies for Best Album of the Year and Best Folk Album for his album 1492-1975. Sixteen-year-old left-handed fiddler Ryan D’Aoust won Best Fiddle Album for his album Southside of the Strings. D’Aoust, who hails from Norway House, was also awards the Galaxie Rising Stars Award, an award won last year by fellow Manitoba act Burnt. Galaxie, CBC’s Continuous Music Network, grants the award to a promising newcomer in Aboriginal music.
Other winners include Burnt for Best Group or Duo, Hank Horton for Best Country Album, and Kimberley Dawn for Best Song/Single. Lisa Meeches and Kyle Irving took the Best Television Program Award home to Winnipeg, for the program First Nation Invasion. This is the first year that the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards...
Manitoba Aboriginal artists are ready to show national audiences and industry the strength of the local music industry this week in Toronto. A delegation of 17 local solo artists and bands, totaling 32 individuals will attend and showcase at the annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival (CANAB) at Toronto\'s Rogers Centre (SkyDome). This year marks Manitoba\'s strongest showing in the 12-year history of the event. CANAB, which runs November 25 to 27, features a popular music festival and trade show as well as the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA), for which Manitoba artists have received an unprecedented 21 nominations in 23 different categories.
In addition to many of the 2005 CAMA nominees, the Manitoba delegation includes several showcasing acts that will take over Toronto\'s Original Motorcycle Cafe & Lounge on Saturday night for an evening of incredible music, including Juno Award-winning rock act Eagle & Hawk, and CAMA nominees Kimberley Dawn and Billy Joe Green. All 17 acts will travel to Toronto with the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association\'s Aboriginal Music Program.
"Everyone at MARIA is incredibly proud of all the nominated and showcasing artists from...
Manitoba artists have netted 21 nominations in 23 categories for the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA) making 2005 Manitoba’s strongest showing at the seventh annual awards ceremony. The CAMAs are held in conjunction with the Canadian Aboriginal Festival, which runs November 25-27, 2005 in Toronto. The awards will be handed out at the John Basset Theatre in downtown Toronto on November 25.
Winnipeg-based band Burnt Project 1 leads the pack with five nominations for its latest release Hometown, including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album Best, Producer/Engineer, Best Group or Duo, and Best Album Cover Design. Troy Westwood-fronted Little Hawk is up for three awards, including Album of the Year for 1492-1975. Singer/songwriter J.C. Campbell is a double nominee for his album Life Up Till Now.
Other local nominees include Juno-winning rock act Eagle & Hawk, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, South ThunderBird, Ryan D’Aoust, Grey Buffalo, Hank Horton, and television producer Lisa Meeches.
“It’s always nice to see the distribution of nominations from across the country,” says Errol Ranville, Aboriginal Music Program Director for the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry...
Manitoba artists have been honoured with numerous nominations at the 2005 Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA), showing the strength of the keystone province’s music industry on a national stage yet again. Local artists account for 27 nominations in 16 different categories, including several multiple nominees, the Western Canadian Music Alliance announced in Vancouver on September 14. The trophies will be handed out at a gala event held on October 23 at Vancouver’s prestigious Commodore Ballroom.
Leading with four nominations is 2005 JUNO Award-nominated roots quartet Nathan for its sophomore album Jimson Weed, competing for Outstanding Album (Independent), Outstanding Roots Recording, Outstanding Songwriter, and Video of the Year. Nathan’s debut recording, Stranger, was awarded Outstanding Album (Independent) in 2001 at the Prairie Music Awards, which preceded the WCMAs.
Fellow 2005 Juno-nominated band The Waking Eyes is up for three awards: Entertainer of the Year, Outstanding Rock Recording, and Outstanding Album (Independent). Double nominees include bluesman Billy Joe Green, Francophone children’s artist Damien Lussier, and Grammy-winning Celtic fusion quintet The...
Two local bands are bringing home an important American Aboriginal music award this month. Juno-winning act Eagle & Hawk won the Indian Summer Music Award (ISMA) for Alternative Rock for its album The Red. The band won the same category in 2004 for its acclaimed album Mother Earth. Sunshine Records’ Spirit of the Nations was honoured for its self-titled album in the Contemporary Instrumental category. The ISMA winners were announced at an awards ceremony during the Indian Summer Festival (ISF) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 10, 2005. In a record showing, 12 Manitoba artists were nominated for the 2005 ISMA.
The ISF is a three-day event – considered the largest Aboriginal festival in North America – which hosts both the Indian Summer Festival Image Awards and the ISMA.
Manitoba’s profile was unparalleled at the ISMA in Milwaukee this year. With 22 recording artists and industry professionals from Manitoba in attendance, a clear message was sent to the rest of the continent: when it comes to music, Manitoba means business.
The Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association’s Aboriginal Music Program accessed funding from Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism to...
Eleven Manitoba artists have been nominated for the 2005 Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA). The ISMA are held annually in conjunction with the largest Aboriginal music festival in North America. The ISMA winners will be announced at an awards ceremony during the Indian Summer Festival (ISF) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 10, 2005.
The nominees are: Burnt - Project 1, Eagle & Hawk, Billy Joe Green, Spirit of the Nations, Cal Richard, Rayne DeLaronde, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, Little Hawk, Longhouse, and Sierra Noble. (see below for details)
“Everyone at MARIA is excited about these nominations,” says Errol Ranville, director of MARIA’s Aboriginal Music Program. “Aboriginal music is a growing force in the music industry and it is extremely rewarding to see our home-grown talent recognized on an international stage. These artists are part of Manitoba’s natural resource, and we’ve been working with many of them for quite some time to help them in developing their careers. I wish them all the best of luck at the awards show.”
MARIA’s Aboriginal Music Program is designed to develop the Aboriginal music community in Manitoba, thereby creating sustainable careers...
Manitoba stands to bring home several Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards from Toronto on November 28. Kicking off the fifth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Week, which runs November 28 through December 1, the awards honour the premiere musical artists of the Canadian Aboriginal communities.
Popular multi-genre group Burnt has been nominated for both Best Rock Album and Best Blues Album as well as an honour for Best Album Design (for Maggie Ross and Burnt frontman Dave Boulanger). Country singer Kimberley Dawn is up for Best Female Artist and Best Country Album while Mitch Daigneault is nominated for Best Male Artist, Best Country Album and Best Songwriter. Manitoba mainstay Ray St. Germain is ready to take home honours for Best Male Artist, Edward Gamblin for Best Producer and band Eagle and Hawk for Best Single. The White Fish Bay Singers are nominated for Best Traditional Album Historical. On November 26, Manitoba’s Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism Eric Robertson congratulated Manitoba’s nominees in a press conference. "We are proud of the contributions of our Aboriginal artists to the music community," said Robinson in a press release. "This awards ceremony...
