ABORIGINAL PEOPLES CHOICE MUSIC AWARDS: Winners Announced From Televised Show

Winnipeg, Manitoba (November 4, 2011) -- The 6th annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards were handed out at MTS Centre in Winnipeg tonight.

Lorne Cardinal and Kyle Nobess hosted the spectacular show, which was televised live on APTN. Errol Ranville was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The audience of just over 4000 enjoyed performances by Derek Miller, Ghost Keeper, Elisapie Isaac, Kelly Daniels, Don Amero, Samian with Florent Vollant, Pacific Curls, and C-Weed Band with Ali Fontaine.

Awards were handed out in nine categories. And the winners are:

Best Country CD

**Ali Fontaine | Sagkeeng, manitoba

**Ali Fontaine

Don Amero | Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Long Way Home

Donny Parenteau | Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

To Whom It May Concern

Genevieve Fisher | London, ontario

Without Borders

Leanne Goose | Inuvik, northwest territories

Got You Covered

Best Rap / Hip Hop CD

JB The First Lady | Vancouver, british columbia

Get Ready Get Steady

KASP | Penticton, british columbia

Muskwa

Samian | Rouyn- Noranda, quebec

Face À La Musique

Shawn Bernard | Edmonton, alberta

Collabonation

**Winnipeg’s Most | WINNIPEG, manitoba

**GoodFellaz

Best Pow Wow CD - Contemporary

A Tribe Called Mi’Kmaq | Mi’Kmaq First Nation, noVa scotia

We Honour The Water

Bad Nation | Fort Thompson, South dakota

V

**Black Bear | Manawan, quebec

**Out of Hibernation

Brown Eagle Singers | ontario

Rockin the Pow Wow Trailz

Elk Soldier | Marty, south dakota

A Warrior Society

Best Pow Wow CD - Traditional

Blackfoot Confederacy | Falls Church, virginia

Hail to the Chiefs

**Blackstone | Duffield, alberta

**Live in Alexis

Sage Hills | Kamloops, british columbia

Sage Hills

Smoke Trail | Ivry Sur Le Lac, quebec

A Long Red Road

Zotigh Singers | Albuquerque, new mexico

It’s A Good Day To Dance

Best New Artist

**Ali Fontaine | Sagkeeng, manitoba

CerAmony | JAmes Bay, quebec

Cris Derksen | Vancouver, british columbia

Diyet | Burwash Landing, yukon

Ghostkeeper | High Level, alberta

Single of the Year

Ali Fontaine | Sagkeeng, manitoba

Say to Me

Derek Miller | Six Nations, Ontario

Stoned for Days

Samian | Rouyn- Noranda, quebec

Tshinanu by Samian & Florent Vollant / Claude McKenzie

Terri-Lynn | Surrey, british columbia

Call To The Ancestors

**Winnipeg’s Most | WINNIPEG, manitoba

**Don’t Stop

Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year

CerAmony | JAmes Bay, quebec

The Last Great Man by Rakesso Mukash & Matthew A. Iserhoff

**Derek Miller | Six Nations, Ontario

**Stoned for Days

Don Amero | Winnipeg, manitoba

Right Where I Wanna Be by Don Amero & Jay Tooke

Samantha Crain | Shawnee, Oklahoma

Santa Fe

Samian | Rouyn- Noranda, Quebec

Tshinanu by Samian & Florent Vollant / Claude McKenzie

Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year

Dallas Arcand | Calgary, alberta

**Derek Miller | Six Nations, Ontario

Don Amero | Winnipeg, manitoba

Donny Parenteau | Prince Albert, saskatchewan

Indigenous | Sioux Falls, south dakota

Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year

Elisapie Isaac | Montreal, Quebec

JB The First Lady | Vancouver, british columbia

Kristi Lane Sinclair | Vancouver, british columbia

**Leela Gilday | Yellowknife, northwest territories

Yvonne St. Germaine | Saskatoon, saskatchewan

ABOUT MANITO AHBEE

The Manito Ahbee Festival celebrates and showcases Aboriginal music, art and culture, with the 6th annual festival taking place in Winnipeg from November 2nd to 6th. Manito Ahbee – which means ‘where the Creator sits’ – honours a sacred site in Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park where Aboriginal people have gathered for hundreds of years to share teachings and wisdom. There are several petroforms at this site including one shaped like a turtle that represents Turtle Island, another name for North America. Manito Ahbee was recognized in 2007 with Travel Manitoba’s Tourism Award in the category of Aboriginal Tourism. The Board of Governors, staff and organizers of Manito Ahbee express deep gratitude for all participants, supporters and communities who have come together to make the festival what it is today.