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10th Annual Native American Music Awards

On Saturday October 4, 2008 at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY, the highly anticipated Native American Music Awards will proudly commemorate its tenth anniversary with a special celebration that includes over 30 Awards categories from every genre of music as well as Hall of Fame inductions and high energy performances by nationally renowned band members from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Taste of Honey, Redone & Village People.

N.A.M.A. and its Advisory Board contingency would like to congratulate the following inductees; Rickey Medlocke, current guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd and founder, lead guitarist and songwriter of Blackfoot who has sold over 5 million records worldwide with his hits "Train Train" and "Highway Song"; Pat Vegas of Redbone, an original founding member of the Native American rock group that reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1974 with the song, "Come and Get Your Love;" Janice-Marie Johnson, founder and principal songwriter of the internationally acclaimed group A Taste of Honey, with her multi-platinum smash hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie, " which was number one on the Billboard Pop, Disco and R&B charts, and recipient of the 2002 "Nammy" for Producer of the Year, " and Felipe Rose, the "Indian" and Co-founder of the world renown group, The Village People whose previous solo efforts representing his Native American heritage have earned him several Native American Music Awards including "Best Historical Recording" for his song 'Trail of Tears.' Just this week, the Village People were honored with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

N.A.M.A. proudly honors these legendary performers and songwriters who have been leading forces in mainstream music and in the Native American community. For the past decade, N.A.M.A. has been nominating and awarding prominent national music figures of Native American heritage at its annual Awards ceremony, a highly celebratory and critically acclaimed event. NAMA President, Ellen Bello states, "Since our inception, the Awards have celebrated the musical achievements of Native American artists from the tip to the toes of entire North America. This year's program proudly commemorates an entire decade of honoring the artistic accomplishments of both past and present. With over 30 traditional and contemporary music categories, we have steadily and repeatedly proven that the Native American music community is a viable and impressive industry. N.A.M.A. is proud to be the premiere Awards show for Native American music. As we enter our second decade, we will continue our commitment to excellence and nurturing newer artistic expressions."

Two-time N.A.M.A. nominee, Apache' Gospel artist, Johnny Curtis, who has penned multiple records in the past three decades, will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Other featured performers include: multiple NAMA award winners, Joanne Shenandoah and Robert Tree Cody, Blues recording artist CornBred, Canada's Edmund Bull, New Mexico's Native Roots, South Dakota's Rap Hip/Hop artists Nightshield and Maniac The Siouxpernatural, female power vocalists Star Nayea & Pura Fe', The Cherokee National Youth Choir, Iroquois Dancers, Trevor Jones & Young Gunz plus Indian Country's preeminent comedian and ventriloquist, Buddy Big Mountain, and more.

The Great grandson of Geronimo, Houston Geronimo and Lance White Magpie, a direct descendant of Crazy Horse will serve as special guest presenters. A film screening of Our Spirits Don't Speak English: Indian Boarding School" produced by award-winning RichHeape Productions will be held on the awards premise on Friday, October 3rd as a special pre-show event.

Tickets are $20.00 and up and are available through Ticketmaster and the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel box office. Showtime is 8:00pm. Hotel reservations can be made by calling 716.299.1100 or 1.888.905.4477.
All Winners of the Tenth Annual Native American Music Awards will be announced at the awards pre-show event and throughout the Awards ceremony. A post show meet and greet with autograph signings will take place in the lobby following the event followed by a private VIP Party in the Bear's Den for winners and nominees.
The Native American Music Awards & Association, founded in 1998, is the world's leading membership-based association consisting of music industry professionals directly involved in the recording and distribution of traditional and contemporary Native American Music initiatives.





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