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Cover of Tommy Wildcat's CD "Pow-Wow Flutes"

TAHLEQUAH, OK - Tommy Wildcat, Cherokee Nation tribal member, was recently named the Indian Flutist of The Year at the Native American Music Awards (NAMMYS) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"It is a really great honor and great achievement to get that," said Wildcat. "I was the underdog. It was a great honor to be with these well-known musicians and jam with them on stage."

Wildcat has been playing the flute for nearly ten years and released his first album in 1997. His five albums combined have sold more than 75,000 copies. His latest album, Pow Wow Flutes has sold 35,000 copies alone and continues to be in high demand. This was Wildcat's first nomination for a Native American Music Award.

Tommy Wildcat

"It was awesome hearing my name come across there," Wildcat said. "If I never win anything else, this is all I wanted to achieve. I can always look back at that in my career."

Wildcat's flute music has been featured in documentaries on the Discovery Channel and in various movies. He is a graduate of Sequoyah High School and has made his home in Park Hill, Oklahoma.

He currently spends most of his time on the road, traveling between performances. He performs on the weekends at Pow Wows around the country and during the week at universities and other venues. Most of his performances are in the Eastern part of the United States where his native Cherokee people originated.

"I always tell people I'm Cherokee," Wildcat said. "That is my pride. There is a big demand for my performances in Georgia and North Carolina. They're really interested in this kind of stuff there."

Tommy Wildcat has already begun working on his next CD, which will be released in 2003.

"I'll just continue to promote the beauty of Indian people," Wildcat said.