Several artists with Hawaii Island ties were among the winners Saturday night at the 40th annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Hawaii’s most prestigious music awards.
Several artists with Hawaii Island ties were among the winners Saturday night at the 40th annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Hawaii’s most prestigious music awards.
Hilo native Kalani Pe‘a, who now lives on Maui, took the Contemporary Album of the Year award for his debut album, “E Walea.” That makes Pe‘a, who won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album in February, the first musical artist to win a Grammy and a Hoku for the same album.
Cyril Pahinui, who lived a number of years in Hilo, won two of the coveted statuettes, Hawaiian Slack-key Album of the Year for “Hi‘ilawe” and Best Instrumental Composition for “Ki Ho‘alu,” from “Hi‘ilawe.” He now has 17 of the awards on his mantel.
Rupert Tripp Jr. of Volcano won the Hoku for Best Religious Album for “Righteous Son Rize.”
The award for Best Alternative Album went to Kukahi Lee, a 17-year-old from Waimea, for “Kukahi.”
Singer-keyboardist Maggie Herron, a former Hilo resident, won the Best Jazz Album Hoku for “Between the Music &the Moon.”
Slack-key legend Ledward Kaapana, a Kalapana native, garnered the award for Best Ukulele Album for “Jus’ Press, Vol. 2.”
And producer Kenneth Makuakane, a Hilo native, took home the Hoku for Best Compilation Album for “Mele From Aunty’s Beach House Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa.”
The night, however, belonged to Keauhou. The Oahu-based Hawaiian trio won nine awards for its self-titled debut album, including album, song and Hawaiian Music Album of the Year. The group also won the Most Promising Artist and Favorite Entertainer of the Year awards.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.