2002

Artist of the Year award went to Joanne Shenandoah for the album Eagle Cries,

 Keith Secola won in the Best Blues Recording category for the album Kokopelli Blues.

The Best Compilation Recording honor went to Voices Across the Canyon

Martha Redbone took the award for Debut Artist of the Year for her album Home of the Brave.

Radmilla Cody won the Best Female Artist category with her album Seed of Life

Best Male Artist award went to Micki Free for his album Cowboy.

Laughing Woman & Eagle Wings took the award for Best Folk/Country Artist

Tommy Wildcat won the Flutist of the Year honors for the album Powwow Flutes.

The Cherokee National Children's Choir took home the first ever award in the newly added Gospel/Christian Recording category for the album Voices of the Creator's Children.

Brule took home two awards for the album Star People, winning in both Group of the Year and Best Instrumental Recording categories.

The award for Best Historical Recording went to Felipe Rose for Trail of Tears,

 Douglas Blue Feather won in the Best Independent Recording category for the album Arrival.

Red Bull Best Drum Group

Mary Youngblood won for Best New Age Recording for her album The Raven,

Blackfire took the honors in the Best Pop/Rock category for the album One Nation Under.

John Barnes and Janice Marie Johnson won in the Best Producer category for their work on Johnson's album Until the Eagle Falls.

The award for Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording went to Litefoot for the album Tribal Boogie,

Robert Mirabel and Rare Tribal Mob took the honors for Best Video for Mirabel's Music From A Painted Cave.

Mary Louis Defender Wilson won  for Best Spoken Word Recording for My Relatives Say,

Verdell Primeaux and Johnny Mike won for Best Traditional Recording for Bless the People.

The Best World Music Recording award went to Native Roots for Rain Us Love.

Alter Natives by Jim Boyd was named Record of the Year,

Gary Small was named Songwriter of the Year for the album Wild Indians,

 Song/Single of the Year award went to Jana for Stairway to Heaven

Neil Young, who won in the Native Heart category.

Actor Floyd Red Crow Westerman was also honored  receiving the Living Legend Award,

Country music legend Kitty Wells was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame

Fifth Annual Nominees

A. Artist of the Year
1. Janice - Marie "Until The Eagle Falls" (Tastebuds)
2. Jim Boyd "Alter Natives" (Thunderwolf)
3. Joanne Shenandoah "Eagle Cries" (Red Feather/Paras)
4. Keith Secola "Kokopelli Blues: (Akina)
5. Mary Youngblood "Beneath The Raven Moon" (Silver Wave)

B. Best Blues Recording
1. "Kokopelli Blues" Keith Secola (Akina)
2. "Like A Tornado" Greg Serrato (J-Bird)
3. "Rainy" Blackhawk Blues Band (BH)
4. "Twice As Good" Red Man Blues (Yani)
5. "Wild Indians" Gary Small Band (Medicine Tail)

C. Best Compilation Recording - Various Artists
1. "Buffalo Spirit" (Turtle Island)
2. "Enter Tribal" (Canyon)
3. "Voices Across The Canyon" (Canyon)
4. "Red Nation Celebration" (Red Nation)
5. "Tribal Dreams" (Earth Beat!)

D. Debut Artist/Group of the Year
1. Blackhawk Blues Band "Rainy" (BH)
2. Cherokee National Children's Choir "Voices of the Creator's Children"(CN)
3. Crystal-Phoneix "Apache" (FL)
4. Martha Redbone "Home of the Brave" (Blackfeet)
5. Micki Free "Gypsy Cowboy" (True Native)

E. Best Female Artist
1. Cherokee Rose & Silena "Balanced By Tradition" (Sunshine)
2. Karen Therese "Warrior of the Heart" (Red Feather/Paras)
3. Martha Redbone "Home of the Brave" (Blackfeet)
4. Radmilla Cody "Seed of Life" (Canyon)
5. Tanya Brown "Tonto's Fury" (CR)

F. Best Folk/Country Artist
1. "A Tribute To Hank Williams" Ernest Monias (Sunshine)
2. "Birdstock: Fiddle Tunes For The Birds" Arvel Bird (Singing Wolf)
3. "From Pow Wows To Honky Tonks" The Wolf River Band (WRB)
4. "I Will Bring You Near" Tom Jackson (Tomali)
5. "Reservation" Laughing Woman & Eagle Wings (Sweet Grass)

G. Flutist of the Year
1. Bryan Akipa "Eagle Dreams" (Makoche')
2. Eddie Three Eagles "Attack On America" (Manitou)
3. Mary Youngblood "Beneath The Raven Moon" (Silver Wave)
4. Tommy Wildcat "Pow-Wow Flutes" (AWSP)
5. Xavier Quijas Yxayotl "Singing Earth" (Canyon)

H. Gospel/Christian Recording (New Category)
1. "A Wonderful Place" J.B. Dreadfulwater & The Cherokee Choir (CS)
2. "Contagious" Jim Felix (Soar)
3. "Gig In The Sky" Triple Cross (Talkalai)
4. "Mystical Warrior" Verdell Primeaux (Cool Runnings)
5. "Rain Manna Rain" Murphy Platero & Hidden Manna (CPR Music)
6. "Voices of the Creator's Children" Cherokee National Children's Choir (CN)

I. Duo/Group of the Year
1. Brule' "Star People" (Soar)
2. Black Lodge "It's Been A Long Time Comin'" (Canyon)
3. Native Roots "Rain Us Love" (Soar)
4. Verdell Primeaux & Johnny Mike "Bless The People" (Canyon)
5. Yarina "Inspiration" (Yari)

J. Best Historical Recording
1. "Children's Songs in the Cherokee Language" Lisa LaRue w/ Anna Huckaby (CN)
2. "Lakota Drum" Earl Bullhead (Soar)
3. "Lakota Sundance Songs" James Ironshell (Cool Runnings)
4. "My Relatives Say" Mary Louise Defender Wilson (Makoche)
5. "Trail of Tears" Felipe Rose (Tomahawk)

K. Best Independent Recording
1. "Arianna Rain" Steel River (SR)
2. "Arrival" Douglas Blue Feather (Spirit Hawk)
3. "Dakota Skies" David Lohnes, Jr. (Shake Your Feathers)
4. "Freedom" Redhawk (Red Turtle)
5. "The Only Bridge" Sherry Marquelle' (Shmar)
6. "Midnight" Brad Clonch (6DR)

L. Best Instrumental Recording
1. "Birdstock: Fiddle Tunes For The Birds" Arvel Bird (Singing Wolf)
2. "Inspiration" Yarina (Yari)
3. "Medicine Rapids" Corny Michel (Turtle Island)
4. "Star People" Brule' (Soar)
5. "Under One Sky" Various Artists (Red Feather/Paras)

M. Best Male Artist
1. Bryan Akipa "Eagle Dreams" (Makoche')
2. Edmund Bull "End of the Trail" (Turtle Island)
3. Gary Small "Wild Indians" (Medicine Tail)
4. Micki Free, "Gypsy Cowboy" (True Native)
5. Randy Wood "Round Dance The Night Away" (Canyon)

N. Best New Age Recording
1. "Beneath The Raven Moon" Mary Youngblood (Silver Wave)
2. "Blue Corn, Red Earth" Ronald Roybal (RRM)
3. "Medicine Dog" Coyote Zen (Paw)
4. "Red Medicine Dance" William Two Feather (NASP)
5. "Through Windows And Walls" Peter Kater & R. Carlos Nakai(SW)

O. Best Pop/Rock Recording
1. "Brother" Nadjiwan (Heading North)
2. "Bury Me" Qua Ti Si (Shadegea)
3. "Gypsy Cowboy" Micki Free (True Native)
4. "One Nation Under" Blackfire (Tacoho)
5. "Tribal" Dying Tribe (Tribal Relic)

P. Best Pow Wow Recording
1. "'N Action" Tha Tribe (Canyon)
2. "Dark Realm" Nakoda Lodge (Sunshine)
3. "Double Platinum" Northern Cree/Youngbird (Canyon)
4. "Traditional" Red Bull (Turtle Island)
5. "Weasel Tail's Dream" Black Lodge Singers (Canyon)

Q. Best Producer
1. David Swenson "My Relatives Say" (Makoche)
2. Don Fleming "One Nation Under" (Tacoho)
3. Forrest "Frosty" Lawson "Trail of Tears" (Tomahawk)
4. John Barnes "Until The Eagle Falls" (Tastebud)
5. T. Wassinger & James Marienthal "The Prophecy Of The Eagle & The Condor" (SW)

R. Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording
1. "Freedom Is A State Of Mind" Corporate Avenger (Suburban Noize)
2. "From Pieces To A Puzzle" Full Ephekt (Sunshine)
3. "Injunuity" Julian B (Hot Commodity)
4. "TNT" Natay (Soar)
5. "Tribal Boogie" Litefoot (Red Vinyl)

S. Record of the Year
1. "Alter Natives" Jim Boyd (Thunderwolf)
2. "Eagle Cries" Joanne Shenandoah (Red Feather/Paras)
3. "Star People" Brule' (Soar)
4. "Spirit Walk" Howard Lyons (Soar)
5. "Home of the Brave" Martha Redbone (Blackfeet)

T. Song/Single of the Year
1. 'Kokopelli Blues' Keith Secola (Akina)
2. 'Stairway To Heaven' Jana (Radikal)
3. 'Midnight In The Desert' Crystal Gayle
4. 'Trail of Tears' Felipe Rose (Tomahawk)
5. 'Until The Eagle Falls II' Janice - Marie (Tastebuds)


U. Songwriter of the Year
1. Gary Small "Wild Indians" (Medicine Tail)
2. Karen Therese "Warrior Of the Heart" (Red Feather/Paras)
3. Jim Boyd "Alter Natives" (Thunderwolf)
4. Paul LaRoche "Star People" (Soar)
5. Howard Lyons "Spirit Walk" (Soar)

V. Best Short or Long Form Video
1. Janice - Marie "Until The Eagle Falls" (Tastebuds)
2. Lorrie Church "Running Away" (EagleHill)
3. Litefoot "The Messenger" (Red Vinyl)
4. Martha Redbone 'Vineyard' (Blackfeet)
5. Robert Mirabal w/Rare Tribal Mob "Music From A Painted Cave"(SW)

W. Best Spoken Word Recording
1. "A Powwow Summer Across North America" Dr. Lita Mathews(GON)
2. "In A Good Way" Kenneth Little Hawk (MSR)
3. "Inchworm" The Pheasant Brothers (Shadega)
4. "My Relatives Say" Mary Louise Defender Wilson (Makoche)
5. "Talk Indin Dammet" David Little Elk (Hehaka7)

X. Best Traditional Recording
1. "Bless The People" Verdell Primeaux & Johnny Mike (Canyon)
2. "Chants Of Happiness" Delbert Blackhorse (Cool Runnings)
3. "Seed of Life" Radmilla Cody (Canyon)
4. "Tonto's Fury" Tanya Brown (Cool Runnings)
5. "Whispering Winds" Grady Shadow Hawk Jones (Singing Wolf)

Y. Best World Music Recording
1. "Inspiration" Yarina (Yari)
2. "Native Brotherhood" Ruben Romero & Robert Tree Cody (New Earth)
3. "Rain Us Love" Native Roots (Soar)
4. "Singing Earth" Xavier Quijas Yxayotl (Canyon)
5. "The Prophecy Of The Eagle & The Condor" Tito La Rosa (Silver W)

Z. Native Heart
1. Bruce Cockburn, "Eagle Cries" (Red Feather/Paras)
2. Jeff Ball, "Prairie Runner" (Red Feather/Paras)
3. Joey Ramone, "One Nation Under" (Tacoho)
4. Neil Young, "Eagle Cries" (Red Feather/Paras)
5. Scott August "Distant Spirits" (Cedar Mesa)