Juno Award for Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year

The Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year is an annual award presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the best album by an Indigenous Canadian artist or band. It was formerly known as Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording (1994–2002), Aboriginal Recording of the Year (2003–2009), and Aboriginal Album of the Year (2010–2016).^[1] Indigenous artists are not excluded from consideration in other genre or general interest categories; in fact, some indigenous musicians, most notably The Halluci Nation, have actively chosen not to submit their music in the indigenous category at all, instead pursuing nomination only in the more general categories.

Singer Tanya Tagaq was the 2015 recipient of the award for her album Animism.

The award faced controversy in its inaugural year, after nominee Sazacha Red Sky was accused of cultural appropriation.^[2] According to the surviving children of Chief Dan George, the writer of the song she had been nominated for, she was not personally a member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and according to the George family did not have the right to record it under their cultural traditions.^[2] George's son Leonard sought a legal injunction to prevent the award from being presented at the Juno Awards ceremony at all,^[3] and a final compromise revising Red Sky's nomination to reflect the album instead of the song was announced on the morning of the ceremony.^[4]

More recently, some indigenous artists have called for the category to be discontinued, on the grounds that a dedicated indigenous category "ghettoizes" their music as a niche interest not relevant to non-indigenous music fans, while others have defended it as a platform for increasing the visibility of indigenous music, arguing that even though indigenous artists are eligible in all Juno award categories, relatively few indigenous artists actually receive such nominations due to their lack of mainstream prominence and the much wider range of competition for nomination slots.^[5]

In late 2019, the Junos announced plans to rename the category as Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year for the 2020 ceremony. While the category would still honour particular albums, the organization said the decision was made to address questions they received from Indigenous artists "who believe they're submitting to a category meant to shine a spotlight on the accomplishments of Indigenous people." The Junos suggested the change would likely "eliminate a lot of the confusion and put us in a better position to explain the need for the category, when challenged."^[6]

At the Juno Awards of 2021, it was announced further changes were being made for the Juno Awards of 2022, splitting the category into two new categories for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year and Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year.^[7]

In its lifetime, the award was won four times by singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, all of which were revoked in March 2025.^[8] As the award was presented based on the indigenous character of the music rather than the ethnic heritage of the performer per se, the original questions around her indigeneity from 2023 did not impact her eligibility on their own; however, the 2025 revocation of her Order of Canada, on the grounds that she could no longer provide satisfactory proof of Canadian citizenship, led the Juno committee to revoke the awards.

Winners

Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording (1994–2002)

Year	Winner(s)	Album	Nominees	Ref.
1994	Wapistan	Wapistan Is Lawrence Martin	"Booglatamooti (The Indian Song)" – J. Hubert Francis and Eagle Feather "Grandfather" – J. Hubert Francis and Eagle Feather "Stoney Park" – Stoney Park Singers "The Prayer Song" (revised to Red Sky Rising)[4] – Sazacha Red Sky	[9]
1995	Susan Aglukark	Arctic Rose	Akua Tuta – Kashtin Blue Voice/New Voice – Jani Lauzon Music for the Native Americans – Robbie Robertson and The Red Road Ensemble No Regrets – Tom Jackson	[10]
1996	Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat	ETSI Shon "Grandfather Song"	Dancing Around the World – Red Bull Message – Wapistan Sacred Ground – Jess Lee This Child – Susan Aglukark	[11]
1997	Buffy Sainte-Marie	Up Where We Belong Award revoked in 2025.	Freedom – Chester Knight and the Wind Innu Town – Claude McKenzie Go Back – Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat Tudjaat – Tudjaat	[12]
1998	Mishi Donovan	The Spirit Within	Little Island Cree - World Hand Drum Champions – Little Island Cree with Clayton Chief Necessary – No Reservations That Side of the Window – Tom Jackson Walk Away – Fara Palmer	[13]
1999	Robbie Robertson	Contact from the Underworld of Redboy	Hearts of the Nations – The 1997 Aboriginal Women's Voices Group Message from a Drum – J. Hubert Francis and Eagle Feather Thirst – Jani Lauzon Welcome to the Playground – TKO	[14]
2000	Chester Knight and the Wind	Falling Down	Love that Strong – Elizabeth Hill To Bring Back Yesterday – Fara Palmer Touch the Earth and Sky – Vern Cheechoo World Hand Drum Champions '98 – Red Bull	[15]
2001	Florent Vollant	Nipaiamianan	Figure Love Out – John Gracie Journey Home – Mishi Donovan Run As One – C-Weed Unsung Heroes – Susan Aglukark	[16]
2002	Eagle & Hawk	On and On	Crazy Maker – Marcel Gagnon Dark Realm – Nakoda Lodge My Ojibway Experience: Strength & Hope – Billy Joe Green Riel's Road – Sandy Scofield	[17]

Aboriginal Recording of the Year (2003–2009)

Year	Winner(s)	Album	Nominees	Ref.
2003	Derek Miller	Lovesick Blues	The Right Combination – Vern Cheechoo and Lawrence Martin spirit world solid wood – Leela Gilday Standing Strong – Chester Knight Round Dance the Night Away – Randy Wood	[18]
2004	Susan Aglukark	Big Feeling	The Avenue – Burnt Project 1 Mother Earth – Eagle & Hawk Ketwam – Sandy Scofield In Honour of Percy Dreaver – Whitefish Jrs.	[19]
2005	Taima	Taima	Green Dress – Wayne Lavallee Full Circle – Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter KATAKu – Florent Vollant Pishimuss – Claude McKenzie	[20]
2006	Burnt Project 1	Hometown	Life Is... – Eagle & Hawk Muskrat Blues and Rock & Roll – Billy Joe Green Rattle & Drum – Asani Sinaa – Tanya Tagaq	[21]
2007	Leela Gilday	Sedzé	Blood Red Earth – Susan Aglukark Burn – Jason Burnstick Seeds – Digging Roots Stay Red – Northern Cree	[22]
2008	Derek Miller	The Dirty Looks	Home and Native Land – Little Hawk Nikawiy Askiy – Sandy Scofield Phoenix – Fara Palmer What It Takes – Donny Parenteau	[23]
2009	Buffy Sainte-Marie	Running for the Drum Award revoked in 2025.	Auk/Blood – Tanya Tagaq First Law of the Land – Billy Joe Green No Lies – Tracy Bone The World (And Everything In It) – Team Rezofficial	[24]

Aboriginal Album of the Year (2010–2016)

Year	Winner(s)	Album	Nominees	Ref.
2010	Digging Roots	We Are...	Distant Morning Star – Digawolf Swagger – Lucie Idlout Sing Soul Girl – Inez Jasper Trail of Tears – Wayne Lavallee	[25]
2011	CerAmony	CerAmony	The Black Star – Joey Stylez Derek Miller with Double Trouble – Derek Miller The Great Unknown – Eagle & Hawk Vigilance – Little Hawk	[26]
2012	Murray Porter	Songs Lived and Life Played	Speakers of Tomorrow – Bruthers of Different Muthers One Nation – Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen To Whom it May Concern – Donny Parenteau The Gift of Life – Randy Wood	[27]
2013	Crystal Shawanda	Just Like You	Heart on My Sleeve – Don Amero The Black List – Burnt Project 1 Samples – Janet Panic Bring It On – Donny Parenteau	[28]
2014	George Leach	Surrender	Keep a Fire – Amanda Rheaume Small Town Stories – Desiree Dorion Burn Me Down – Inez Jasper Road Renditions – Nathan Cunningham	[29]
2015	Tanya Tagaq	Animism	The Whole World's Got the Blues – Crystal Shawanda For the Light – Digging Roots Heart of the People – Leela Gilday The (Post) Mistress – Tomson Highway	[30]
2016	Buffy Sainte-Marie	Power in the Blood Award revoked in 2025.	The One – Armond Duck Chief Come and Get Your Love: The Tribe Session – Black Bear Rumble – Derek Miller Refined – Don Amero

Indigenous Music Album of the Year (2017–2021)

Year	Winner(s)	Album	Nominees	Ref.
2017	Quantum Tangle	Tiny Hands	Fish Out of Water – Crystal Shawanda Round Dance & Beats (Powwow) – Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie Debut – Silla + Rise Earthly Days – William Prince	[31]
2018	Buffy Sainte-Marie	Medicine Songs Award revoked in 2025.	PowWowStep – DJ Shub Here & Now – Indian City The Fight Within – Iskwé Sedna – Kelly Fraser	[32]
2019	Jeremy Dutcher	Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa	The Ballad of the Runaway Girl – Elisapie Nitisanak - Brother and Sister – Northern Cree The Average Savage – Snotty Nose Rez Kids Standing in the Light – Leonard Sumner
2020	Celeigh Cardinal	Stories from a Downtown Apartment	Yellowstone – Digawolf nipiy – nêhiyawak Siqinnaarut – Northern Haze ataataga – Riit	[33]
2021	Leela Gilday	North Star Calling	Kîyânaw — Burnstick Church House Blues — Crystal Shawanda The Ridge — Julian Taylor Nunarjua Isulinginniani — Terry Uyarak	[34]

See also

• Music portal
• Canada portal

• Aboriginal music of Canada
• Aboriginal Canadian personalities