Niagara Falls, NY – (Wisconsin’s/LdF’s/Madison’s) Kelly Jackson was awarded the Native American Music Award for Best Folk/Americana Recording for her debut album “Spirit of a Woman.”  The award was announced Friday, May 10th in the Events Center of the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.
It was the first national award for the album that was recorded and produced in Lac du Flambeau by Kelly Jackson and Mark Richardson of Alchematic Records.
“Spirit of a Woman celebrates, commemorates and is dedicated to the many contributions women offer their families, their communities, and their professions. I hope Spirit of a Woman provides you with all the medicinal value it has for me”
Winners were selected by the combined votes of the Native American Music Awards  (N.A.M.A.) Advisory Board Membership Committee with an international general public voting membership.  General Public voting was open on the Awards website VOTE NOW page where music tracks of all nominees were featured.
In addition to her win for Best Folk/Americana recording, Jackson was also nominated for NAMA awards Best Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Historical/Linguistic recording of the Year.
For Jackson, the award marks another step on her journey in the music industry.  Kelly is a member of the Lake du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
Music has been an influential part of her life for as long as she can remember. From the flailing sound of a powwow drum to her dad and uncles relentless guitar festivals. She can remember sitting around the kitchen table watching them sing and play until the sun came up.
While her notebooks were filled with lyrics by the time she hit 4th grade, she wrote her first complete song at 11 and performed on the grand stage of GD Jones Elementary School. It kicked off her passion for writing and performing. Since then she has written hundreds of songs and performed for countless venues.
Kelly served her community in Lac du Flambeau for 13 years in the field of tribal culture/language and resource preservation. She continues to provide workshops in federal law, and government relations, in addition to sessions focusing on Lac du Flambeau history.
Kelly’s music represents her deep appreciation for her culture and celebrates and inspires the spirit to move forward no matter what the obstacles one may face.
“Music is more than just a form of expression for me, it’s etched in my spirit and rooted in my soul,” said Jackson.
Kelly is working on her second album, Renditions of the Soul. This musical piece will be decorated with the same musical infusion of contemporary native sounds but will showcase more edgy blues infused pieces that are sure to captivate both native and mainstream audiences.
Kelly Jackson will be preforming at Capital Theater in Madison, Wisconsin on September 6th, 2013, sharing the stage with the Indigo Girls. You can find her album at http://www.kellyjackson.net.