Class music acts

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Priscilla Morin, Mishi Donovan and the Nakoda Lodge Singers were Alberta winners of this year's Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, handed out at Skydome in Toronto Nov. 24.

Morin won Best Country Album for her CDWaiting For You; Donovan won Best Songwriter for her album Journey Home, and Nakoda Lodge won Best pow wow Album - Contemporary, for their CD Chico's Trail.

Morin also performed during the awards show, singing the pop mix version of "It's Gonna Be Lonely", her first single off the album.

Morin had her first big hit in 1987 with the song "Cheyenne," but chose to leave the music business in 1992. She returned to the stage earlier this year, launching her award-winning CD in July. Morin is currently working on her next CD, which she hopes to release in the spring.

The members of Nakoda Lodge include 23-year-old Everett Hunter, 22-year-old Cory Smith, 17-year-old Lynden Hunter, 16-year-old Benji Hunter, 16-year-old Reuben Fiddler, and 14-year-old Randy Hunter. The group has been performing together since 1994, when they made their debut at the Calgary Stampede pow wow. The group performs its own compositions of contemporary pow wow music.

Mishi Donovan, who is originally from Saskatchewan but now calls Alberta home, is a Chippewa Cree singer, songwriter and actor. Journey Home is Donovan's first release since a 1998 Juno win in the Best Music of Aboriginal Canada recording category.