Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album

Robert Mirabal received the Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album in 2008 for his album Totemic Flute Chants

The Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album , in German "Grammy award for the best Native American music album", is a music prize that has been awarded by the American Recording Academy since 2001 . The award goes to the musician and the producer of the respective album.

History and background

Since 1959, the Grammy Awards are presented annually in numerous categories by the Recording Academy in the United States to recognize artistic achievement, technical competence, and overall excellence regardless of album sales or chart position.

One of these categories is the Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album . After three years of lobbying by Ellen Bello, founder of the Native American Music Awards and the Native American Music Association, the award was first presented at the 2001 Grammy Awards to Tom Bee and Douglas Spotted Eagle as producers of the compilation album Gathering of Nations Pow Wow . Previously, Native American recordings were featured in the folk , world music, or new age categories . While some Native American artists criticized the award category as "too narrowly defined to do justice to Native American music today," others were proud of its separate award. The name of the award remained unchanged between 2001 and 2011.

As performing artists, Bill Miller and Mary Youngblood share the record of most wins in this category, with two wins each. Thomas Wasinger holds the record as a producer with three wins. The group Black Lodge Singers is the most frequently nominated band without a win.

In 2011, the Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album category was canceled along with thirty others due to a major overhaul of the Grammy Award categories by the Recording Academy, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album , Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album , Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album and Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album . Native American works have been recognized in the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album category since 2012 .

Winners and nominees

year	winner	nationality	album	Producer (s)	Nominees	Picture of the winner (s)
2001	Different artists	United States	Gathering of Nations Pow Wow 1999	Tom Bee Douglas Spotted Eagle	Black Lodge Singers - Tribute to the Elders Joseph Fire Crow - Cheyenne Nation Lakota Thunder - Veterans Songs Joanne Shenandoah - Peacemaker's Journey
2002	Johnny Mike and Verdell Primeaux	United States	Bless the People: Harmonized Peyote Songs	Giuli Doyle Robert Doyle	Black Eagle - Life Goes On: Hand Drum and Round Dance Songs Black Lodge Singers - Weasel Tail's Dream: The Tradition Continues Northern Cree - Rockin 'the Rez Various Northern Drums - Gathering of Nations 2000: Millennium Celebration, Volume 1 Young Bird - Change of Life: Oklahoma Pow-Wow Songs
2003	Mary Youngblood	United States	Beneath the Raven Moon	Thomas Wasinger	Burning Sky - Spirit in the Wind Redheart - Sacred Season Vince Redhouse - Faith in the House Randy Wood - Round Dance the Night Away
2004	Black Eagle	United States	Flying Free	Tom Bee	Tom Bee - Reveal His Glory Black Lodge Singers - Brotherhood R. Carlos Nakai - Sanctuary Northern Cree - Still Rezin '
2005	Bill Miller	United States	Cedar Dream Songs		Black Eagle - Straight Up Northern Black Lodge Singers - Family Traditions Joanne Shenandoah - Covenant Mary Youngblood - Feed the Fire
2006	Different artists	United States	Sacred Ground: A Tribute to Mother Earth	Jim Wilson	Black Lodge - More Kids' Pow-Wow Songs Alex E. Smith and Cheevers Toppah - Intonation: Harmonized Songs from the Southern Plains Randy Wood - Our Love Will Never Die
2007	Mary Youngblood	United States	Dance with the Wind	Thomas Wasinger	Black Eagle - Voice of the Drum Robert "Tree" Cody and Will Clipman - Heart of the Wind Jana - American Indian Story Northern Cree and Friends - Long Winter Nights
2008	Robert Mirabal	United States	Totemic Flute Chants	Larry Mitchell	Walter Ahhaitty and Friends - Oklahoma Style Black Lodge - Watch This Dancer! Davis Mitchell - The Ballad of Old Times R. Carlos Nakai, Cliff Sarde, William Eaton, and Randy Wood - Reconnections
2009	Different artists	United States	Come to Me Great Mystery: Native American Healing Songs	Thomas Wasinger	Bryan Akipa - Songs from the Black Hills Black Lodge - Spo'Mo'Kin'Nan Northern Cree - Red Rock Kevin Yazzie - Faith
2010	Bill Miller	United States	Spirit Wind North	Bill Miller Michael Von Muchow	Michael Brant DeMaria - Siyotanka Northern Cree - True Blue John Two-Hawks - Wind Songs: Native American Flute Solos Johnny Whitehorse - Riders of the Healing Road
2011	Different artists	United States	2010 Gathering of Nations Pow Wow: A Spirit's Dance	Derek Mathews Lita Mathews Melonie Mathews	Bear Creek - XI Northern Cree - Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs Peter Phippen - Woodnotes Wyld: Historic Flute Sounds from the Dr. Richard W. Payne Collection

Web links

• Official website of the Grammy Awards - Recording Academy, Los Angeles (English)
• Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album (English) at grammy.com

Individual evidence

1. ^ Grammy Awards. Retrieved May 1, 2019 . 
2. ^ The Official Site of the Grammy Awards - Overview. Retrieved April 30, 2019 . 
3. ^ Winners Best Native American Music Album. Retrieved May 1, 2019 . 
4. ↑ ARTS IN AMERICA; Beyond Drumbeats: New Sounds From Indian Country. Retrieved May 1, 2019 . 
5. ^ THE POP LIFE; Native Genre Takes Pride Of Place at The Grammys. Retrieved May 1, 2019 .