About

ARTIST PROFILE

Twenty-time international award-winning Mezzo-Soprano vocalist, Rhonda Head is from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba.

Rhonda released her fourth full-length album on September 9, 2023, Waniska. Rhonda’s album is emotional and spiritual and it also brought great joy. The album is about loss and finding happiness again - Waniska means to rise up or awaken in the Cree Language. This album is dedicated to my late brother Chris.

Rhonda won a PLATINUM LIT Music Award - Best Inspirational Music - Waniska 2024 and a PLATINUM LIT Music Award – Best Female Vocal – Waniska 2024

Global Music Award - Best Female Vocal - Time Goes On 2024
Rhonda won a GOLD LIT Talent Music Award - Best Music Video - Island Dreams 2023, a PLATINUM LIT Talent Music Award - Best Female Vocalist - Music is The Medicine 2023 and an International Music Award CLOUZINE - Best Native American Song- Music is the Medicine 2023 Fall since releasing WANISKA.

Rhonda won a 2022 LIT Talent Music award for her song Kisakhitin I Love You for Best Collaboration Music Rhonda won a 2022 LIT Talent award for her single 500 Years for Best Social Impact Song and for Kisahkihitin I Love You for Best Collaboration. She also won a 2022 One World Music Award for her single 500 Years, and a Global Music award for Coming Home for Best Protest Song. She is the official recipient of Global Music Awards for a pair of her most celebrated songs. Judged by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning artists, Head’s impactful anthem, 500 Years, received a Bronze Medal in the Protest Music category. The lyrics share her emotional journey, moving through the pain of being an intergenerational Residential School Survivor.

“The song dives into the pain of that experience, for me and for all of my people that have endured ‘500 years of pain',” shared Head. “But the song also shows our incredible resilience and how we are finally coming together, all of humanity, to love and to be kind to one another, despite our differences and our past.”

Recorded with the Prague Orchestra, Head’s fan-favorite Kisahkihitin I Love You, also landed a Bronze Medal in the Contemporary Classical category. This recognition adds to her lengthy list of milestones including singing at New York’s Carnegie Hall (2016) and Lincoln Center (2014), judging the GRAMMY Awards regional roots category and attending the Los Angeles Award Show (2020), and sitting at a Board Member at Canada’s largest rights management organization, SOCAN.

“Rhonda shines with her fans and also as a leader in the North American music industry,” says JUNO Award-winning rock icon and band leader of Eagle & Hawk, Vince Fontaine. “Rhonda has trained and performed internationally. Her lyrics touch the soul. She is an intergenerational Residential School Survivor. She is an inspiration in so many ways and continues to be a voice and a beacon.”

Awards and Nominations

Kisahkitin I Love You - 2022 LIT Talent Award - Best Collaration

500 Years - 2022 LIT Talent Award - Best Social Impact Song
Coming Home - Global Music Award 2022 for Best Protest Song
500 Years - One World Music Award for Best Vocal Single 2022
Fallings Not Goodbye Global Music Award - Pop 2022
Kisahkihitin I love You (with Prague Orchestra) Global Music Award - Best Contemporary Classical 2021
500 Years - Global Music Award - Best Protest Song 2021
Kisahkihitin I Love You - Nominated for GMA Gospel Award 2020
2019 Women of Inspiration Award winner - Indigenous Leadership Award
Kisahkihitan - Nominated for Indian Summer Music Award - Best Spiritual 2019
500 Years - Global Music Award for Protest Music 2019
Kisahkihitan - 2017 Global Music Award Bronze Medal Winner
Kisahkihitan - Nominated for two Native American Music Awards - Best Female & Best Gospel/Inspirational 2017
Kisahkihitan - Won Indigenous Music Award for Best Inuit, Indigenous Language or Francophone Album 2017
Nikumoon - Nominated for the Native American music Awards in Salamanca NY for Best Female and Best Gospel/Inspirational Nov 14, 2014
Nikumoon - Nominated for the Covenant Awards in Vancouver BC for Aboriginal Song of the Year Nov 13, 2014
Nikumoon - Won Best Spiritual Award Indian Summer Music Award in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 2014
Nikumoon - Won the Best Canadian Indigenous Artist West Coast Native American Music Awards, Los Angeles, CA August 2014
Proud Century - Compilation CD honouring Veterans 2014
Kayas - Won the Best World - Native American Music Awards 2011

FACTOR Juror
ISMA Juror
APCMA Industry Juror
Juno Juror
NARAS Juror
Manitoba Music’s Aboriginal Music Program Steering Committee
SOCAN Board Member

Her book Mezzo-Soprano – Memoirs of a Rez Girl got a 5 Star review from Red Headed Book Lover - Mezzo Soprano: Memoirs of a Rez Girl is a poignant, moving, unique, and inspirational memoir that will take readers on a thought-provoking journey while entertaining them at the same time! Mezzo Soprano: Memoirs of a Rez Girl is written by author Rhonda Head and Head throughout Mezzo Soprano: Memoirs of a Rez Girl will take her readers on a journey through her life. The journey the reader will encounter is incredible as well as eye-opening and her story will make you feel a host of different emotions from start to finish! That is why I already recommend this lovely book, however, if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more!

Her single “Played” got a rave review from JazzCorner.com comparing vocals to Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Holiday, stating her song is pure jazz at its core.
Was named 100 top Inspiring People in Manitoba by I Heart Radio in Winnipeg in 2019.