Manitoba Artists Land 10 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards

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Manitoba acts have picked up 10 awards at the 2009 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards. The winners were announced over two events: APTN First Night at McPhillips Street Station on November 5 and the nationally-televised APCMA gala at the MTS Centre on November 6. Local artists and industry received a record 51 nominations this year.

With three award wins, rock outfit Eagle & Hawk was a big winner once again this year, taking home hardware for Best Group or Duo, Best Producer or Engineer, and Best Rock CD for its latest release, Sirensong. The band has already racked up a number of awards and nominations for Sirensong, including recent wins at the Western Canadian Music Awards, Native American Music Awards, and Indian Summer Music Awards, as well as nods from the upcoming Canadian Folk Music Awards and Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. The Juno-winning band took home four awards at the 2008 APCMAs. 

Blues man Billy Joe Green picked up hardware for Best Blues CD for his Juno-nominated release, First Law of the Land – If Broken, Return to Maker, which was released by local label, StrongFront Records. Fellow Juno nominee, country pop chanteuse Tracy Bone, won for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year for her Arbor Records release, No Lies. Acclaimed fiddler Sierra Noble won Best Country CD for her singer/songwriter debut, Possibilities. Rapper Wab Kinew won Best Rap or Hip-Hop CD for his solo debut, Live By The Drum. Brown Eagle picked up the Best Pow Wow CD – Traditional award for its release on local label Sunshine Records, In the Spirit of Brown Eagle. APTN’s production of Aboriginal Day LIVE 09 won Best Television Program Promotion of Aboriginal Music. Fresh from competing in the top six on YTV’s The Next Star competition, teenage country singer/songwriter Darrelyne Bickel was given the Ka-Kee-Nee Konee Pewonee Okimow: Minister Robinson Most Outstanding Aboriginal Manitoban Award (Emerging Artist).

Broadcast live on APTN and Bell Express VU, the APCMAs featured performances by Tracy Bone and Sierra Noble, as well as music legend and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Buffy Sainte-Marie, and country superstar Crystal Shawanda.

The APCMAs feature an online voting system, which gave Aboriginal music fans from around the world the chance to vote for their favorite act in each of the 22 categories. The awards are part of the Manito Ahbee festival, now in its fourth year.     

For a complete list of 2009 APCMA winners, please visit www.aboriginalpeopleschoice.com.   

2009 ABORIGINAL PEOPLES CHOICE MUSIC AWARDS - Manitoba WINNERS 

BEST COUNTRY CD
Sierra Noble – Possibilities

BEST GROUP OR DUO
Eagle & Hawk

BEST POW WOW CD - TRADITIONAL
Brown Eagle – In the Spirit of Brown Eagle

BEST ROCK CD
Eagle & Hawk – Sirensong

ABORIGINAL SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Tracy Bone – No Lies                                

BEST TELEVISION PROGRAM PROMOTION OF ABORIGINAL MUSIC
Aboriginal Day LIVE 09

BEST PRODUCER OR ENGINEER
Eagle & Hawk – Sirensong

BEST RAP OR HIP HOP CD
Wab Kinew – Live By The Drum

BEST BLUES CD
Billy Joe Green – First Law of the Land – If Broken, Return to Maker

KA-KEE-NEE KONEE PEWONEE OKIMOW: MINISTER ROBINSON MOST OUTSTANDING ABORIGINAL MANITOBAN AWARD (EMERGING ARTIST)
Darrelyne Bickel

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