BILLY JOE GREEN 'First Law of the Land'

As one of Canada's premier blues guitarists, Green earned his rambunctious, no-frills approach to the instrument as a sideman. Three decades later, with a new CD/DVD, First Law Of The Land, he still pursues his love and devotion for the electric guitar. He has four other CDs under his belt, two previous JUNO Award nominations, a five win sweep at the 2006 Winnipeg Blues.Com Music Awards, a Best Blues CD Award at the inaugural 2006 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards, the Best Male Artist at the 2002 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, a Best Aboriginal Recording Award at the 2001 Western Canadian Music Awards and countless other nominations. (Americuse Empire/Strongfront*Indiepool)

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE 'Running For The Drum' WINNER

By age 24, Buffy Sainte Marie had appeared all over Europe, Canada, Australia and Asia, receiving honours, medals and awards. Her song 'Until It's Time for You to Go' was recorded by Elvis and Cher, and her 'Universal Soldier' became the anthem of the peace movement. Sainte-Marie's 18th album, Running for the Drum, is a collection of power and beauty: folk/roots, pow wow-rock, rockabilly and dance. Passionate as ever, she covers an array of commanding themes, including protest against environmental greed and great loves. She also released a DVD simultaneously entitled A Multimedia Life.(Gypsy Boy*EMI)

TANYA TAGAQ 'Auk/Blood'

When Tanya Tagaq Gillis' music fills your ears, she is genuinely one of those rare artists whose sounds and styles are truly groundbreaking. Inuit throat singer is one part of her sonic quotient. So are descriptions like 'orchestral, 'hip-hop-infused' and 'primal,' but these words are not usually used collectively. In the case of Tagaq, however - especially on her sophomore album, Auk - they are. So much has happened to Tagaq since the release of her debut CD, Sinaa (meaning 'edge' in her ancestral language of Inuktitut) in 2005. The Nunavut-born singer has also worked with other groundbreaking artists, such as Björk and Kronos Quartet.(Jericho Beach Music*Outside)

TEAM REZOFFICIAL 'The World (And Everything In It)'

Team Rezofficial is a family of three MCs and two producers brought together by their love of real hip hop. Whether speaking on the block, the reservation, or hanging out at the club, the Team Rezofficial sound comes out of authentic rez experience and urban life in Canada. The Team Rezofficial collective came together in 2004. The World (And Everything in It) represents the group's fourth release and second full-length CD and is chock full of girls, 'hoods, profanity, drugs, movie references. Team Rexofficial won a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award (CAMA) in 2004 for The Foundation. (Arbor*EMI)

TRACY BONE 'No Lies'

Tracy Bone has been writing her own material since the birth of her third daughter, which she says was her inspiration. Her debut CD, No Lies, includes the story behind that inspiration in a song called 'The Air I Breathe.' Her single 'Games' peaked at No. 1 on the NCI-FM top 30 charts. The album was recorded with producer/musician Phil Deschambault from the band Vanderveen. Influenced by Patsy Cline, Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride, Alanis Morrissette and Melissa Etheridge, her music is shaped by these artists with unique rich vocals and her own harmonies. (Arbor*EMI)