Native American Music Awards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Native American Music Awards NAMAs "Nammys"
Presented by	Elbel Productions, Inc. The Native American Music Awards Inc. The Native American Music Association
Country	United States
First awarded	https://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/

The Native American Music Awards (also known as the NAMAs or "Nammys") are special awards given out every year. They celebrate amazing musical achievements by Native American artists, mostly in the United States and Canada.

These awards were started in 1998. Their main goal was to give Native American musicians more recognition. They also wanted to help these artists get known around the world.

A music expert named Ellen Bello created the awards. Her group, the Native American Music Association, is the biggest organization for Native American music. It has over 20,000 members! They also have the world's largest collection of Native American music. This collection includes more than 10,000 audio and video recordings.

Celebrating Native American Music

The awards show honors music released in the past year. This includes both traditional and modern Native American music.

Traditional Native American Music

Traditional music has always been a big part of Native American life. It helps define tribal identity. Some examples are pow wow music, round dance songs, and Native American flute music.

Modern Native American Music

Today, Native American music includes many popular styles. You can find Native American artists playing rock, pop, blues, hip hop, and country. There are also unique styles like Waila (also called Chicken scratch) and Native American Church music.

There's even a "Native Heart" award. This award is for non-Native artists who contribute to the field.

How Winners Are Chosen

Music professionals who are members of the organization suggest the nominees. Then, the winners are chosen in two ways. The national members vote, and the public also gets to vote. You can listen to the nominated songs on the Native American Music Awards website.

The awards ceremony is a big event. It features live performances by artists. There are 30 award categories for different music styles. They also give out Lifetime Achievement Awards and add people to their Hall of Fame. Many famous artists have been part of the show. These include Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge, and Nelly Furtado.

Well-known celebrities have also supported the awards. Some of these include Nile Rodgers, Richie Havens, and Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead.

Awards and Recognition

The Native American Music Awards helped create a special Grammy Award. In 2000, the Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album was introduced. The NAMAs were the first national awards program for Native American music in North America.

From 2001 to 2011, the American Grammy Awards gave out this specific award. The Canadian Juno Awards also have an award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year. However, in 2011, the Grammy category for Best Native American Music Album changed. It became part of a new category called "Best Regional Roots Music Album."

The awards ceremonies are often held at casinos owned by the Seneca Nation of New York. They have been at the Seneca Niagara Casino and the Seneca Allegany Casino. Sometimes, the Seneca Nation's own TV station, WGWE, broadcasts the show.

Lifetime Achievement Awards and Hall of Fame Inductions

A special part of the Native American Music Awards is honoring legends. They give out Lifetime Achievement Awards and induct people into their Hall of Fame.

Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame

Felipe Rose, wearing a feathered headdress, was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2008.

• Jimi Hendrix (Cherokee descent), 1998
• Buddy Red Bow (Oglala Lakota), 1998
• Hank Williams, 1999
• Jim Pepper (Kaw/Muscogee Creek), 2000
• Crystal Gayle (Cherokee descent), 2001
• Kitty Wells, 2002
• Doc Tate Nevaquaya (Comanche Nation), 2006
• Link Wray (Shawnee descent), 2007
• Redbone (Yaqui/Shoshone descent), 2008
• Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd/Blackfoot, 2008
• Janice-Marie Johnson (Stockbridge-Munsee descent) of A Taste of Honey, 2008
• Felipe Rose of Village People (Lakota descent), 2008
• Ritchie Valens (Yaqui), 2009
• Nokie Edwards (Cherokee), 2011
• Keith Secola (Ojibwe), 2011
• Russell Means (Oglala Lakota), 2013
• Taboo (Shoshone), 2016
• Mickie James (Powhatan descent), 2017
• Jesse Ed Davis (Kiowa/Comanche), 2018
• Wes Studi (Cherokee Nation), 2019

Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Robbie Robertson (Mohawk), 1998
• Rita Coolidge (Cherokee descent), 1999
• Tom Bee of XIT (Dakota descent), 2000
• R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute), 2001
• John Densmore, 2003
• Tiger Tiger (Miccosukee), 2007
• Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida), 2008
• Bill Miller (Stockbridge-Munsee), 2008
• Stevie Salas (Apache descent), 2009
• John Trudell (Santee Dakota), Living Legend, 1998
• Navajo Code talkers (Navajo), Living Legend, 1999
• The Neville Brothers, Living Legend, 2001
• Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Santee Dakota), Living Legend, 2002
• Tommy Allsup (Cherokee), Living Legend, 2009
• Saginaw Grant, (Sac And Fox) Living Legend, 2016

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album
• List of Native American musicians
• Native American music