Yellowbird, Bear dominate at Aboriginal Peoples Choice awards
Fast-rising Alberta country singer Shane Yellowbird tied with British Columbia singer-songwriter Cheryl Bear to win the most trophies at the second annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in Winnipeg.
A Cree from Hobbema, Alta., Yellowbird captured best country CD for Life is Calling My Name, best music video for Pickup Truck and aboriginal entertainer of the year during the ceremony at the MTS Centre on Friday night.
Bear, who is from the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation in B.C.’s Central Interior, captured best songwriter, single (Hey Cuzzin’!) and best new artist. Bear did not attend the ceremony.
Yellowbird had also nabbed the most awards, three, at the inaugural gala in 2006. It has been a stellar year for the singer, who had five nominations for the 2007 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. He got the rising star trophy.
Yellowbird thanked family and fans and brought his band onstage.
“These are the guys who put up with me for the last two years, putting up with all my pranks and all my jokes: they stood by me,” he told the crowd of 5,000 screaming fans.
The awards, with 20 categories, are sponsored by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and winners are chosen through online voting. Both Canadian and American acts are eligible to be nominated.
Other winners include the group Indigenous, whose Chasing the Sun won for best blues album.
“We’re from South Dakota so it’s great to see this here,” said Indigenous front man Mato Manji. “I want to thank my family, my wife and my kids, for putting up with me for so long.”
Other award winners include:
Best Aboriginal Music by a Non-aboriginal: Home and Native Land, Little Hawk.
Best Album Cover Design: One More, The Boyz.
Best Fiddle CD: Backroads Fiddlin, Darren Lavallee.
Best Folk CD: Dance With The Wind, Mary Youngblood.
Best Gospel CD: On My Way To Heaven, Yvonne St. Germain.
Best Group: Red Nation, Now or Never.
Best Hand Drum CD: Ami Nicimos, Red Bull.
Best Inuit Traditional CD: Drums of the North, Pamyua.
Best Instrumental CD: Sacred Healing, David R. Maracle.
Best Hip Hop CD: The Answer, Seventh Generation.
Best Pow Wow CD, Contemporary: One More, The Boyz.
Best Pow Wow CD, Traditional: Generations, High Noon.
Best Producer: REZalationzzzÖ,Kray Z Kree.
Best Rock CD: The Dirty Looks, Derek Miller.
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