Aborginal Peoples Choice Music Awards Voting Begins

Online voting for the 2007 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards started Monday, August 13 at 5:00 pm Central. As in the previous year, the nominees and eventual winners in each of the 23 categories will be chosen by fans on the www.aboriginalpeopleschoice.com website.

The winners will be announced at one of two award ceremonies in Winnipeg on November 1 and 2, 2007, with the second event being broadcasted live across Canada on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

In order to vote, you’ll need a valid email address, access to the Internet and a little bit of time to listen to the music in each category.

The Manitobans in the running are:

Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year
Darren Lavallee (Sunshine Records)
Da Skelpa Squad
Don Constant (Sunshine Records)
Eagle & Hawk
Fred Moose
Hank Horton
Highway 373
JC Campbell (Strongfront Records)
JJ Lavallee
Ryan D’Aoust (Arbor Records)
Tracy Bone (Arbor Records)
X-Status (Strongfront Records)

Best Aboriginal Music by Non Aboriginal
Fresh I.E.
Little Hawk

Best Album Cover Design
Don Amero
Jesse Green (Strongfront Records)

Best Blues CD
JC Campbell (Strongfront Records)
Slidin’ Clyde Roulette
South Thunderbird

Best Country CD
Don Constant (Sunshine Records)
Fred Moose
Gabby Taylor
Gerry McIvor
Hank Horton
Howard Nepinak
JJ Lavallee
Ray St. Germain (Arbor Records)
Ron Loutit (Arbor Records)
Tracy Bone (Arbor Records)
Yoza

Best Fiddle CD
Cliff Maytwayashing (Sunshine Records)
Darren Lavallee (Sunshine Records)
Harv Settee Jr. (Sunshine Records)
Ryan D’Aoust (Arbor Records)

Best Folk Acoustic CD
Don Amero
Myles Palmquist

Best Group or Duo
Da Skelpa Squad
Highway 373
Lil' Disciples
South Thunderbird
X-Status (Strongfront Records)
Yoza

Best New Artist
Don Amero
Gabby Taylor
Jack Olson (Sunshine Records)
Lil' Disciples
Lucien Spence
South Thunderbird
X-Status (Strongfront Records)

Best Pow Wow CD – Contemporary
Dakota Hotain (War Pony Records)

Best Pow Wow CD – Traditional (Original)
Whitehorse (War Pony Records)

Best Producer or Engineer
Don Amero
Jesse Green (Strongfront Records)
Myles Palmquist
Tom Dutiaume
Vince Fontaine

Best Rap of Hip Hop CD
Da Skelpa Squad
Lil' Disciples
Team Rezofficial

Best Rock CD
Highway 373
Jack Olson (Sunshine Records)
X-Status (Strongfront Records)
Yoza

Best Songwriter
Don Amero
Don Constant (Sunshine Records)
Fred Moose
Gabby Taylor
Gerry McIvor
Hank Horton
Jack Olson (Sunshine Records)
JC Campbell (Strongfront Records)
JJ Lavallee
Myles Palmquist
Tracy Bone (Arbor Records)
Vince Fontaine

Single of the Year
DLO
Don Amero
Don Constant (Sunshine Records)
Eagle & Hawk
Fred Moose
Gabby Taylor
Gerry McIvor
Hank Horton
Highway 373
Howard Nepinak
Jack Olson (Sunshine Records)
JC Campbell (Strongfront Records)
JJ Lavallee
Lucien Spence
Myles Palmquist
South Thunderbird
Tracy Bone (Arbor Records)
X-Status (Strongfront Records)

Local labels, Arbor Records, Sunshine Records and War Pony Records also have the following artists in the running:

Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year
Jared Sowan (Sunshine Records)
Susan Aglukark (Arbor Records)
WT Goodspirit (Sunshine Records)

Best Country CD
Jared Sowan (Sunshine Records)
Mike Gouchie (Arbor Records)
WT Goodspirit (Sunshine Records)

Best Folk Acoustic CD
Mishi Donovan (Arbor Records)
Sandy Scofield (Arbor Records)

Best Instrumental
Sakoieta Widrick - Return To The Waters (Sunshine Records)
Sakoieta Widrick - Sacred Songs Sacred Words (Sunshine Records)

Best New Artist
Jared Sowan (Sunshine Records)
WT Goodspirit (Sunshine Records)

Best Pow Wow CD – Contemporary
Northern Wind (Arbor Records)
Chiniki Lake (War Pony Records)
Sioux Nation (War Pony Records)

Best Pow Wow CD – Traditional (Original)
High Noon (Arbor Records)
Rock Hill (War Pony Records)
Young Kingbird (War Pony Records)

Best Rock CD
Derek Miller (Arbor Records)
Stevie Salas (Arbor Records)

Best Songwriter
Jared Sowan (Sunshine Records)
Susan Aglukark (Arbor Records)
WT Goodspirit (Sunshine Records)

Single of the Year
Susan Aglukark (Arbor Records)
Sandy Scofield (Arbor Records)

The official nominations for each category will be decided after the first round of online voting. The second and final round will be used to decide the winner in each category.

ROUND ONE BEGINS: August 13, 2007
ROUND ONE ENDS: September 7, 2007

NOMINEES ANNOUNCED: September 13, 2007

ROUND TWO BEGINS: September 13, 2007
ROUND TWO ENDS: October 15, 2007

For more information and to cast your vote, visit www.aboriginalpeopleschoice.com.