The top two finishers in the 62nd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition were wahine groups.
During the awards ceremony following Saturday night’s Group Hula ‘Auana (modern hula) competition, Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, an Oahu halau under the direction of na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o, were called for first place in wahine (women’s) hula kahiko (ancient hula) with 605 points and second place in wahine hula ‘auana with 611 points,
Their overall score of 1,216 points gave them both the wahine overall title and the group overall win and the Lokalia Montgomery Perpetual Trophy.
It was a narrow victory, only three points, as Kauai’s Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, under the direction of kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin scored 1,213 points to earn them first runner-up in both the wahine overall and group overall competition. The Kauai halau also produced 2025’s Miss Aloha Hula, Jaedyn Janae Puahaulani Pavao, a 23-year-old registered nurse who is the niece of the kumu.
In third place was the kane overall winners, Oahu’s Halau Na Kamalei No Lililehua, under the direction of kumu hula Robert Cazimero, with 1,205 points.
Cazimero, who also is a beloved singer and musician, is celebrating his 50th year as a kumu hula. At 76, he has said that this will be his last Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition.
Below are the winners and runners-up as reported from Hilo’s Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium:
• Group Overall
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,216 points (wahine)
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1,213 points (wahine)
3. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 1,205 points (kane)
• Wahine Overall
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,216 points
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1,213 points
3. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval — 1,191 points
• Kane Overall
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 1,205 points
2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 1,187 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 1,184 points
• Wahine Kahiko
1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 611 points
2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 598 points
3. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval — 594 points
4. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 593 points
5. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 581 points
• Kane Kahiko
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 596 points
2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 591 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 587 points
4. Halau I Ka Wekiu, na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Lanakila Casupang — 585 points
• Wahine ‘Auana
1. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 615 points
2. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 605 points
3. Halau Hula O Kauhionamauna, kumu hula Theresa Kauhionamauna Ramento Tehiva — 600 points
4. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval— 597 points (won tie-breaker)
5. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 597 points
• Kane ‘Auana
1. Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, kumu hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero — 609 points
2. Kawai‘ulaokala, kumu hula Keli‘iho‘omalu Puchalski — 601 points
3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 597 points
4. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 596 points
