Indigenous Music Awards handed out in Winnipeg

Published May 24, 2017

This article was published more than 6 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Stephen Wood’s drum group Northern Cree received a lifetime achievement award at the Indigenous Music Awards.Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail

While many music fans were paying attention to the Billboard Music Awards, last weekend also saw the return after a year off of the Indigenous Music Awards, as part of the Manito Ahbee Powwow in Winnipeg.

While the event was without Drake's strange acceptance speeches, Cher's wigged-out appearances or Celine Dion's tear-jerking My Heart Will Go On moment, the gala featured the presentation of 18 trophies, along with live performances by Mariame, Christa Couture, Crystal Shawanda and Northern Cree, the Alberta drum group who received a lifetime achievement award.

The event was previously known as the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards. Where previously winners were decided by a process involving fan voting, this year's hardware collectors were chosen by a jury of their peers. A full list of winners and nominees can be found here.

Jeff Lemire says he worked on his new graphic novel Roughneck at the same time as the Gord Downie project, Secret Path. The illustrator says “Roughneck” addresses themes of violence and addiction in indigenous communities.

The Canadian Press

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