The Cherokee National Youth Choir, under the direction of Mary Kay Henderson of Fort Gibson, continues to receive recognition for their harmonic sound and dedication to the Cherokee language.

Over the weekend, the choir won its fourth Native American Music Award in the “Best Gospel/Inspirational Recording” category for the group’s latest CD, Precious Memories, and will be presented with the coveted Governor’s Award by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee. Earlier this year, the choir won its first Indian Summer Music Award in the “Traditional Vocal” category.

“Receiving the Governor’s Award, being presented with our first ISMA and winning our fourth NAMMY is quite an honor for the choir,” Henderson said. “We are so excited. It’s wonderful to be recognized by such outstanding organizations in the music industry. Winning each of these awards just adds the icing on a sweet year for the Cherokee National Youth Choir.”

The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum honors notable talent within the field of music and song annually. Established in 1997 to educate the public about the influence Oklahomans have had on the music industry, the organization has since honored 53 individuals/groups for their talent and contributions. The Cherokee National Youth Choir will receive the coveted Governor’s Award that has only been given twice in the organization’s history.

“The Governor’s Award is a very prestigious award,” said Beth Seim, executive director of Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “We are pleased that the Cherokee National Youth Choir is receiving it this year. We can’t wait to hear their Cherokee songs fill the arena at our event.”

The Native American Music Awards honor and recognize the musical achievements of Native American artists across the United States in more than 30 awards categories. Established in 1998, it is one of the only national award shows in the world honoring Native American and Aboriginal music initiatives. The NAMMY award was born out of a need to provide greater opportunity and recognition for traditional and contemporary Native American musicians. It has become the one of the country’s leading sources for maintaining and promoting the songs of American Indians and their cultures.

The Indian Summer Music Awards recognize and promote the very best in Native American music created by both established and emerging artists. Entries are judged by a panel of esteemed professionals from across the music and entertainments industries. Winners are selected from 13 different categories.

The Cherokee National Youth Choir performs traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. The Cherokee National Youth Choir came into existence from the vision of Principal Chief Chad Smith, who saw it as a way to keep children involved in the Cherokee language and culture. They function as an important symbol to the world, demonstrating that Cherokee language and culture continues to thrive in modern society.

Since being founded in 2000, the group has recorded six CDs, including Voices of the Creator’s Children, featuring two-time Grammy® Award winner Rita Coolidge, which garnered two Native American Music Awards (NAMMY) nominations and a win for “Best Gospel Christian Recording” in 2002. In total, the group has received four NAMMYs. Precious Memories, an acapella compilation, was released in 2007.

The Youth Choir acts as ambassadors for the Cherokee Nation, their beautiful voices showing the strength of the Cherokee Nation and its culture more than 160 years after the Cherokees’ forced removal from its eastern homelands. The goal of the choir is to increase awareness of Cherokee culture both within the Cherokee Nation as well as among the dominant culture.

Through the success of the group, interest in the Cherokee language has been rekindled among young people throughout the Cherokee Nation. Several area schools now use the CDs as learning tools, and other schools are interested in developing curriculum to teach Cherokee language and music. Principal Chief Smith and Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson, Jr. have pledged to make preserving language and culture a priority at the Cherokee Nation, and the success of the Cherokee National Youth Choir has helped spark a cultural renaissance among the Cherokee people.

For more information about the youth choir, contact Henderson at 478-4473 or Kathy Sierra at 453-5638.