2022 Native American Music Award Nominees

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The Native American Music Awards are back and ready to celebrate and honor their most powerful voices on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. This will be the organization’s 20th Awards event following the Covid-19 pandemic's devastating impact on Indigenous communities across America. Commemorating National Native American Heritage month, the host of the 20th Awards ceremony will be actor Robert Mesa (Navajo/ Soboba) who most recently played the character James Chee, the first Indigenous doctor onGrey's Anatomy.

The Awards will proudly recognize and honor Oren Lyons as a Living Legend. Oren, who is 92, is the Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Nation. He is an artist, speaker, author and environmental activist for Indigenous peoples worldwide and holds the title of Wisdom Keeper. He has advocated at the United Nations to recognize Indigenous rights and has addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He is also an All-American Lacrosse Hall of Famer and Honorary Chairman of the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse program.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductee is Micki Free, a Grammy Award winner & multiple Native American Music Award winner of Comanche and Cherokee descent. Originally discovered and managed by Gene Simmons of KISS, Micki was the guitarist in the R&B sensation, Shalamar who boasted mega platinum hit songs like "Dancing In The Sheets" from the movie soundtrack "Footloose", and won a Grammy for "Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills" from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. Micki is currently on tour supporting his latest album, Turquoise Blue, which features members of The Santana Band, Steve Stevens of Billy Idol and Gary Clark Jr.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are: Paul LaRoche of Brule/AIRO and Robert Tree Cody. Paul LaRoche is the founding member of Brulé, the epic Native American rock show. Brule’ has won eight Native American Music awards, released 20 CDs and sold over one million CDs worldwide. Robert Tree Cody is a five-time Native American Music Award winner, and a multi-talented flutist, singer, dancer, actor and educator. He has released 13 albums and is the son of Bertha Parker Pallan Cody (Seneca/Abenaki), who is largely considered to be the first female Indigenous archaeologist.

Tune in to enjoy a preview of some of the amazing artists nominated at this years Native American Music Awards!

https://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com

https://nativeartistdirectory.com

Playlist

00 R Carlos Nakai-(Dine/Ute) Nocturne (Intro Bed) (nominated for Artist of the Year)

BEST DEBUT ARTIST

01 Charles Wood III (Saddle Lake Cree/Confederated Tribes of Umatilla)- Honest to You (clip)

02 Elexa Dawson (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)- I See Me (Full Song)

03 Matthew Hawk (Navajo)- Overcome (clip)

04 Melody McArthur (Cree)- Bon Vivant (clip)

05 Mike Bern (Tobique First Nation)- Waponahkew (clip)

06 Zachariah Julian (Jicarilla Apache)- It’s Alright (clip)

07 Julian Taylor (Mohawk)- The Ridge (Full Song)

BEST DEBUT GROUP OR DUO

08 Alton Tsosie with Lincoln Josley (Navajo)- Spiritual Blessings (clip)

09 Ancient Voices (Choctaw/Cherokee)- Honey Bee (clip)

10 Bear Fox (Mohawk)- Water Song (Full Song)

11 Blue Flamez & YL (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs)- Warrior (clip)

12 Jason Lee Wilson (Cherokee)- Tennessee (clip)

13 The Breakwater Band (Alutiiq)- Let It Rain (clip)

14 The Buffalo Weavers (Dakota)- The Dark is Getting Light (clip)

BEST GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

15 Blackbird (Cherokee/Dakota) Two For Three (Clip)

16 Black Lodge Singers (Blackfoot)- Across the Plains (clip)

17 Crazy Flute (Cherokee)- Rise (clip)

18 Eagle and Hawk (Ojibway) Liberty (clip)

19 The Groovalottos (Mashpee Wampanoag)- The Storm (clip)

20 The Ripcords (Onondaga)- Sweet Road Stomp (clip)

21 Twin Flames (Inuit, Mohawk/Metis)- Battlefields (Full Song)

22 Young Spirit (Cree)- Angel Eagle (Clip)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

23 Aaron White (Navajo/Ute)- Moonlight Love Songs (clip)

24 Connor Chee (Navajo)- Passage 4 (clip)

25 Fawn Wood (Cree, Salish)- Kakike (clip)

26 Irv Lyons Jr (Oneida)- Private Invitation (clip)

27 Jace Martin (Mohawk)- Rainboworld (Full Song)

28 Kelly Derrickson (First Nations)- I Am (Clip)

29 Sten Joddi (Mvskoke Creek Nation of Oklahoma)- Sacred Woman (Full Song)