APTN Congratulates the 45th JUNO Awards Aboriginal Artist of the Year Nominees

APTN CONGRATULATES THE 45^TH JUNO AWARDS ABORIGINAL ARTIST OF
THE YEAR NOMINEES 

February 2, 2016, Winnipeg, Manitoba – Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) congratulates the 2016 JUNO Awards – Aboriginal Album of the Year Award nominees. The announcement was made this morning at the JUNO nominee press conference, held in Toronto.

APTN welcomes the opportunity once again to support the JUNO Awards by sponsoring the Aboriginal Album of the Year Award. The network is also proud to play a role in the celebration of the achievements of outstanding Aboriginal artists. Together, they significantly inspire and contribute to the growth and development of our music and cultures.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees:

• The One, Armond Duck Chief
  Armond Duck Chief is a country singer-songwriter from the Siksika Nation on Blackfoot territory, in Southern Alberta. His tales of life, love, and the rodeo are delivered in a classic country style.
• Come and Get Your Love: The Tribe Session, Black Bear
  Black Bear Singers is a drum group from the community of Manawan, of the Atikamekw Nation in Quebec. The Northern Contemporary style powwow music is an echo of the group’s culture, heritage and language.
• Power In The Blood, Buffy Sainte-Marie
  Buffy Sainte-Marie, born in Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, is a Cree singer-songwriter, activist, educator and visual artist. She’s been singing about love, life, and politics for over five decades – and she’s done so in her own way.

• Rumble, Derek Miller
  Derek Miller is a guitarist and singer-songwriter born in the Six Nations of the Grand River, on Mohawk Territory in Ontario. His music blends multiple genres, but he has a definite knack for roots-inflected rock.

• Refined, Don Amero
  Don Amero, a Métis musician from Winnipeg, who charms audiences with his compelling, harmonious voice combined with percussion-style guitar play and captivating storytelling.

The network would also like to extend congratulations to the Aboriginal artists who are being recognized in other categories:

• Buffy Sainte-Marie, Songwriter of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
• Don Amero, Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
• Cris Derksen, Instrumental Album of the Year

The Aboriginal Album of the Year Award will be presented at the 45^th Annual JUNO Awards, on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2016, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB.

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ABOUT APTN:
September 1, 2015, marked the 16-year anniversary of the launch of the first national Aboriginal television network in the world with programming by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples to share with all Canadians and viewers around the world. APTN is available in approximately 11 million Canadian households and commercial establishments with cable, direct-to-home satellite, telco-delivered and fixed wireless television service providers. The network launched its high definition channel, APTN HD, in the spring of 2008. APTN does not receive government funding for operations but generates revenue through subscriber fees, advertising sales and strategic partnerships. APTN broadcasts programming with 56% offered in English, 16% in French and 28% in Aboriginal languages. For program schedule or for more information, please contact APTN at (204) 947-9331 or toll-free at 1-888-278-8862 (Canada), or visit the website at www.aptn.ca

For further information about APTN or image requests, contact:
Jacqueline Jubinville
Manager of Communications, APTN
(204) 947-9331, ext. 339
jjubinville@aptn.ca

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