R&B artist Inez of Chilliwack says she's still "in shock" after cleaning up at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in Winnipeg over the weekend.

The hometown girl swept categories including best new artist, best pop CD for Singsoulgirl, single of the year for Breathe (with Magic Touch), and best album cover design.

"It's crazy — I'm still in shock," Inez Jasper tells The Progress over the phone.

She arrived back in Chilliwack on Sunday, after being met by exuberant family and friends as her plane touched down at the Abbotsford Airport.

"They were holding signs and balloons and flowers," she says. "They also had a surprise dinner for me."

"I was really shocked," she says about winning in four of the five categories she was nominated for. "It's wild."

During her acceptance speeches on Friday night, she made a point of warmly thanking everyone who's helped get her this far, including her family, as well as producer/rapper Magic Touch who is Steven Pitawanakwat, and her manager Ry Moran of YellowTilt Productions. She even brought her son, Zane, up on stage with her.

There was almost a sense of disbelief when they called out her name, "especially in the pop CD category, where I was up against Buffy Sainte-Marie.

"I grew up listening to Buffy and she's an idol of mine. I really look up to her," Inez says of the prolific artist, originally from Saskatchewan, who made it in the mainstream music world.

"I was amazed and honoured just to be nominated alongside of her."

Inez describes her sound as hip-hop and R&B, with elements of traditional Sto:lo music. She grew up on the Skowkale reserve in Chilliwack, née Point, and describes her roots as Sto:lo, Ojibway and Metis. Inez is also a community health nurse who has taken a break to concentrate on her burgeoning music career.

Accepting the award for her song, Breathe, Inez made a point of dedicating the award to all the "baby mamas" who struggle daily to juggle competing demands.

"There are so many women out there who are working moms, and they really inspire me to keep going," she says.

The young mom says she's going to be catching up on some much needed rest this week.

"I really need to focus on my family now," she says.

Inez recalled being in the audience a year ago at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice awards, watching as others won the coveted awards. She vowed to one day be up there as well.

"I was thinking, 'I'm going to go home and work very hard' and that's what I did," she said.

About 35,000 people voted online to pick winners in 26 different categories.

Inez has been building momentum of a couple of years, earning victories such as the $10,000 top prize at the National Aboriginal Day Talent show in Ottawa in 2008, as well the title of National Aboriginal Role Model.

jfeinberg@theprogress.com