Skip to content

Angela Amarualik earns Indigenous Music Award

A couple of rising stars on the Nunavut music scene received even wider acclaim at the 2019 Indigenous Music Awards in Winnipeg on Friday evening.

Iglulik's Angela Amarualik released a self-titled album in November. Photo courtesy of Angela Amarualik

Iglulik's Angela Amarualik took home the award for Best Inuit, Indigenous language, or francophone album while Pangnirtung's Colleen Nakashuk, who performs as Aasiva, was nominated in two categories.

Both Nunavut singers were contenders for Best New Artist. Nakashuk was also a finalist for Best Folk Album. Amarualik was in the running for Best Producer/Engineer.

Both artists performed during Friday's awards ceremony.

Amarualik and Nakashuk released self-titled debut albums in 2018. Both feature Inuktitut lyrics and both are fond of playing the ukulele.

Nakashuk recorded 11 songs for her album. She's on the Aakuluk Music label.

Amarualik laid down seven tracks -- she wrote four of them herself and co-wrote the other three with Thor Simonsen of Hitmakerz.

Several Inuit musicians called for a boycott of the Indigenous Music Awards due to what they deemed as cultural appropriation. A Cree singer from Edmonton who taught herself how to throat sing was nominated for Best Folk Album, which offended them.

Pangnirtung's Colleen Nakashuk launched her debut album last June.
image courtesy of Aakuluk Music.