Manitoba Artists Net 33 Nods at 2nd Annual APCMAs

Posted on

Aboriginal artists from Manitoba demonstrated the strength of the regional scene, nabbing 33 nominations in 16 of the categories of the second annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA). The nominees were announced by the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee Inc. in Winnipeg on September 13 at a press conference at the Hudson Room of McPhillips Street Station.

The APCMAs features an online voting system, which gives Aboriginal music fans the chance to vote for their favorite act in each of the 21 categories. The winners will be announced at a nationally-televised award show on November 2 at the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg. The awards are part of the 10-day Manito Ahbee festival, now in its second year.

Leading the pack with five nominations for Best New Artist, Best Folk/Acoustic CD, Best Songwriter, Best Album Cover Design and Best Producer/Engineer is newcomer Don Amero, while No Lies earned three nominations for country chanteuse Tracy Bone. Bone won last year for Best Album Cover Design and is nominated in 2007 for Best Country CD, Single of the Year, and Best Songwriter.

Juno-winning rock act Eagle & Hawk, who picked up two trophies at last year’s APCMAs, is up for Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year. Eagle & Hawk guitarist Vince Fontaine is also for for Best Producer/Engineer for his work on Life Is... Other double nominees include rap outfit Da Skelpa Squad, blues singer/songwriter J.C. Campbell, metal act X-Status, and X-Status frontman Jesse Green.

The competition for Best Fiddle CD is a four-way Manitoba race between Darren Lavallee, Ryan D’Aoust, Cliff Matwayashing, and Harv Settee Jr.

Other Manitoba nominees include Pow Wow acts Whitehorse and Dakota Hotain, blues bands South Thunderbird and Slidin’ Clyde Roulette Band, hip-hop act Team Rezofficial, rock band Highway 373, and country singers Ron Loutit and Gabby Taylor.

At the inaugural APCMAs, Manitoba artists brought home 10 trophies.

The final round of online voting for the APCMA is now underway and will come to an end on October 15.

For a complete list of 2007 APCMA nominees or to register to vote, please visit www.aboriginalpeopleschoice.com.

2007 ABORIGINAL PEOPLES CHOICE MUSIC AWARDS - MANITOBA NOMINEES

Best Fiddle CD
Darren Lavallee – Backroads Fiddlin
Ryan D’Aoust – York Boats & Legends
Cliff Matwayashing – Skiffle Fiddle
Harv Settee Jr. – Nanny’s Dream

Best Pow Wow CD – Traditional (Original)
Whitehorse – First Ride

Best Pow Wow CD – Contemporary
Dakota Hotain – Voice of the Dakota

Best Aboriginal Music by Non-Aboriginal
Little Hawk – Home and Native Land
Fresh I.E. – The Warren Project

Best Folk/Acoustic CD
Don Amero – Change Your Life

Best Blues CD
J.C. Campbell – Lazy James
South Thunderbird – Tough Go
Slidin’ Clyde Roulette Band – Let’s Take a Ride

Best Rap or Hip-Hop CD
Team Rezofficial – The World (And Everything In It)
Da Skelpa Squad – A New Beginning

Best Album Cover Design
Jesse Green – War Path
Don Amero – Change Your Life

Best Group or Duo
Da Skelpa Squad
X-Status

Best Rock CD
X-Status – X-Status
Highway 373 – No Limits

Best Producer or Engineer
Jesse Green – War Path
Don Amero – Change Your Life
Vince Fontaine – Life Is...

Best New Artist
Don Amero

Best Country CD
Tracy Bone – No Lies
Ron Loutit – Mine to Discover
Gabby Taylor – Where I Feel Alive

Best Songwriter
Tracy Bone – No Lies
Don Amero – Change Your Life
J.C. Campbell – Lazy James

Single of the Year
Tracy Bone – "Lonely With You"
Eagle & Hawk - "Wild West Show"

Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year
Eagle & Hawk


Read more news