'Twilight' star Gil Birmingham will host the 11th Annual Native American Music Awards

September 4, 7:43 PMTwilight ExaminerAmanda Bell

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The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Gil Birmingham has developed quite the reputation for himself in the Twilight fan community as both a talented and earnest member of the cast. One of Birmingham's most revered gifts, especially when it comes to his appearances at Twilight fan conventions, is his music. A talented guitar player, Birmingham has a reputation for getting his crowd going when he's behind the microphone.

That said, it makes sense that Gil Birmingham has been chosen to host the 11th Annual Native American Music Awards event on Saturday, October 3rd from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York.

According to a recent press release, "The NAMMYS is an unprecedented event, celebrating today’s best contemporary and traditional musical performances and recordings by Native American artists."

The three-hour Awards show honors national recordings that have been released in the previous calendar year. Winners are selected by a combined vote by the organization’s national membership and the general public.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce the inclusion of Gil Birmingham to the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel for the 11th Annual Native American Music Awards”, states Karen Karsten, Executive Director of Entertainment for Seneca Gaming Corporation.  Gil represents the very best of what NAMA stands for – a formal recognition of outstanding contributions in the arts by Native American performers. We couldn’t be more honored to have Gil join us in Niagara Falls for this very prestigious occasion.”

“It is an honor to be hosting this great celebration of outstanding achievements in Native American music,” says Gil Birmingham. “Music has the power to transform, heal and connect people in ways that few mediums can. It touches everyone, no matter where you live or what background you come from. The range of Native American music talent out there is truly amazing, and it is important that events like the NAMMYS recognize the talent, inspiration and effect that Native American music has on today’s world.”

Awarding-winning actor Gil Birmingham (Comanche) most recently has generated public acclaim for portraying Billy Black in Twilight, the first film in the Twilight Saga based on the best-selling books by Stephenie Meyer. He has appeared in more than 40 film and television productions, including End of the Spear, Dreamkeeper, Skins, Gentle Ben, The Lone Ranger, The Doe Boy, Love’s Long Journey, Nip/Tuck, 10 Items or Less and Veronica Mars. In 1995, his powerful portrayal of Dogstar in Steven Spielberg’s Into the West captured the attention of audiences worldwide. Birmingham recently finished filming The Love Ranch, starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci, directed by Taylor Hackford, and he will return as Billy Black in the Twilight sequels New Moon and Eclipse. Gil recently filmed Rango, an animated film with Johnny Depp that is scheduled for release in 2011.

Birmingham also is an accomplished singer and guitarist. In addition to hosting the awards ceremony, he will perform two musical numbers during the event. Birmingham’s musical aspirations began at age 10, when he first picked up a guitar and learned to play. Since then, he has traveled across the country, singing and playing guitar with various bands. Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix served as the early inspiration for Gil’s musical style, which ranges from Blues and R&B, to Rock.

Founded in 1998, the Native American Music Awards & Association was born out of a need to provide greater opportunity and recognition for traditional and contemporary Native American music. Today, the organization has grown to become the country’s leading source for preserving and promoting the songs of American Indians.

Tickets for the 11th Annual Native American Music Awards are on-sale now through all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information about the Awards ceremony, visit www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com.

Be sure to follow Gil Birmingham on Twitter, as well as to check out his official webpage and MySpace page.

Photo: Courtesy GilBirmingham.com

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