2009 NAMMY for Reservation Nights”

NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. – “Reservation Nights”, a 16 song initial CD by Will Peters and his son Jess won the NAMMY award Saturday night for the Best Debut Duo/Group of the year during the 11th annual awards banquet at the Seneca Niagara Hotel and Casino.

A Back on the Res production, Reservation Nights was first out in late 2007 and in September of this year was nominated for the Best Duo or group award. The features the writing of Will Peters who has been a Lakota teacher at Pine Ridge School, a tribal council representative and currently a dorm mentor. Will provides vocals and guitar, Jess adds drums and hand drum and Scott Miller lead and bass guitar. Will’s traditional music was included in KILI Radio’s 25th anniversary CD. Will and Jess left Wednesday morning to attend the awards banquet in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Plans are in the works for a second album and bookings are made through Will Peters at 605 867-5039. CDs are available at Singing Horse Trading Post north of Manderson or from Will.

Close to 180 groups and artists were nominated in September for 29 categories with the winners including: Artist of the Year-Jan Michael Looking Wolf/The Looking Wolf Project, Best Blues Recording Dancing in the Rain/Grey Wolf Blues Band, Best Compilation Recording-BitterTears Sacred Ground/Joanne Shenondoah and Michael Bucher, Best Country Recording-Life is calling my name/Shane Yellowbird, Debut Artist of the Year-Skylar Wolf/Devil’s Son, Best Debut Duo/Group of the Year-Reservation Nights/Will and Lil Jess, Best Female Artist-Joy Harjo/Winding through the Milky Way, Best Folk Recording-Four Wolves Prophecy/Atsiaktonkie, Flutist of the Year-JJ Kent/Tate Topa Win, Best Gospel/Inspirational recording-Amazing Grace/Lenape Spirits/Wind Spirit Drum, Best Group-Brule/Lakota Piano II, Best Historical Recording-Native Pride/Thunder Hawk Singers, Best Instrumental Recording-Tango!/Gabriel Ayaya,Best Male Artist-Bryan Akipa/Songs from the Black Hills, Best Native American Church Recording-Peyote Ways/Primeaux and Mike, Best New Age Recording-Deep Within/Tony Redhouse, Best Pop Recording Na Unu Nahai(Shape Shifter)/Apryl Allen, Best Pow wow Recording-Band of Brothers/Midnight Expresss, Best Producer Kelly Parker/Out of the Blue, Best Rap, Hip Hop Recording-All Day All Night/Rezhogs, Best Record of the Year- Earth Gift/Kevin Locke, Best Rock Recording-Sirensong/Eagle and Hawk, Song/Single of the Year-A Change is Gonna Come/Jana Mashonee, Songwriter of the Year-Samantha Crain/The Confiscation: A Musical Novella, Best Spoken Word Recording-The Great Story from the Sacred Book/Rain Song/Terry and Darlene Wildman, Best Traditional Recording It is a New Day/Oshkil Giizhak Singers, Best Video-Movin On/Charly and Aaron Locklear, Best World Music Recording-Ceremony/Michael Searching Bear, Native Heart-Michael Brant De- Maria/Siyotanka.

Tommy Allsup was named a iving Legend and Ritchie Valens was selected for the Hall of Fame.