Indigenous Music Awards

{{short description|Canadian music award}}

{{Indigenous Peoples of Canada}}

The Indigenous Music Awards, formerly called the Aboriginal Peoples' Choice Music Awards, is an annual Canadian music award, given out to Indigenous people who are in the music industry.{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-music-awards-1.3224505 |title=Drezus big winner at Indigenous Music Awards in Winnipeg|publisher=CBC News Indigenous |date=September 11, 2015 |access-date=December 17, 2016}}

The APCMA receives financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Online Strategy. The ceremony is broadcast on television by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

In 2014 Iceis Rain became the first openly two-spirit person to perform at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.[http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/09/13/watch-meet-trailblazing-two-spirit-performer-iceis-rain "Meet Trailblazing Two-Spirit Performer ICEIS Rain"]. The Advocate, September 13, 2014.

In 2019, several Inuit artists, including Tanya Tagaq and Kelly Fraser, boycotted the awards over accusations of cultural appropriation.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-music-awards-throat-singing-appropriation-1.5080405 "Artists boycott Indigenous Music Awards over cultural appropriation concerns"]. CBC News, April 1, 2019. One of the award nominations in the Best Folk Album category that year was given to Connie LeGrande, a Cree artist from Saskatchewan whose album incorporated throat singing; however, as LeGrande had performed the throat singing herself rather than hiring an Inuk collaborator, she was accused of appropriating Inuit culture.[https://globalnews.ca/news/5129910/indigenous-music-awards-throat-singing-cultural-appropriation/ "Indigenous Music Awards stands by non-Inuit nomination despite boycott threat"]. Global News, April 4, 2019. LeGrande, for her part, stated that throat singing is not unique to Inuit culture, and that she had not tried to perform in the Inuit style.Omar Mosleh, [https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2019/04/02/cree-musician-wont-apologize-and-wont-withdraw-album-from-the-indigenous-music-awards-in-dispute-over-cultural-appropriation-of-inuit-throat-singing.html "Cree musician won’t withdraw album with Inuit throat singing from the Indigenous Music Awards"]. Toronto Star, April 2, 2019. Lisa Meeches, the director of the awards, faced further criticism when she stated that she considered it impossible for Indigenous cultures to appropriate each other.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-music-awards-appropriation-meeches-1.5083851 "Cultural appropriation argument 'brings us back a few steps,' says Indigenous Music Awards head"]. CBC News Indigenous, April 3, 2019.