MUSIC
Hawaiian Music Awards to be a 4-day affair
Johnny Kai and his Music Foundation of Hawai'i are making the Hawai'i Music Awards the finale of four days of music-related events next month.
Kai presents the ninth annual event at 3:30 p.m. March 18 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tropics Showroom. Tickets are $75, to benefit the Music Foundation of Hawai'i.
Other special events:
» Nominees party: 6 to 8 p.m. March 15, Willows Restaurant. Tickets are $15, $5 for nominees.
» Black-tie Annual Legacy Awards event, 5:30 p.m. March 16, Lau Yee Chai, Waikiki Shopping Plaza. Tickets are $75, available online at www.HawaiiMusicAwards.com. Call 951-6699 or 271-5853.
» Paradise Cove Luau, 3:50 p.m. to 10 p.m. March 17. Tickets are $66.50, $48.50 for Hawaii residents.
Price for all four events is $250, including backstage access and "hospitality events."
Unlike the Grammy Awards or their Hawaii counterparts, the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, where voting is restricted to industry professionals and members of related professions, voting for the Hawai'i Music Awards is open to the public via e-mail.
Recordings need not have been recorded in Hawaii, released by a local label or distributed here to be eligible, nor do the artists need to be local.
Recipients of the newly instituted Legacy Awards are selected by Johnny Kai and the foundation. The recipients of several other awards are also determined by the foundation rather than by the public.
In another break with the Grammys and the Hoku Awards, Kai announces his winners well ahead of the time.
Award winners
First Annual Legacy Awards
Female Vocalist: Sonya Mendez
Male Vocalist: Jimmy Borges
Lifetime Achievement: Betty Loo Taylor
Producer: Gordon Broad
Songwriter: Eddie Suzuki
Studio Musician: Jimmy Funai
Musical Group: Keith & Carmen Haugen
Entertainer: Al Harrington
Technology: Randy Bauske
Music Educator Honors: Punahou High School Music Department
Engineer: Charlie Lukela
Hawaii Music Awards
Adult Contemporary: "Back to Hawaii," Stuart Nakai
Anthology: "Kamahiwa: Keali'i Reichel Collection One," Keali'i Reichel
Blues: "Live at the Stopwatch," Chance and the BluesDaddies
Children's Music: "Surf, Sand & Song," Keiki O Waimanalo
Classical: "Fantasies," Grace Nikae
Compilation: "Aloha Festivals Falsetto Contest Winners Volume 6"
Contemporary Hawaiian: "My Island Paradise," Manny Fernandez
Country: "My 9th Island Paniolo Ranch," Danny Estocado
DVD: "They Call Her Lady Fingers," Betty Loo Taylor, Sam Polson, Patricia Gillespie
Film Score: "Ho'okipa," Ho'okipa
Folk: "All the Things I Said," Ray Bumatai
Hip-hop: "The Greatest HI," Krystiles featuring Floers
Inspirational/Gospel: "Hymns of Hawaii, Volume 2," George Kahumoku Jr. and Daniel Ho
Instrumental: "Aloha from Hawaii," Greg and Junko MacDonald
International Hawaiian: "The Island of Angels," Anella
Island Contemporary: "UnCut," INoA'ole
Jazz: "Bass Etude," Nathan Aweau
New Age: "Rainforest Piano and Harp," Keith Scott and Amy Heindl
Polynesian: "Mama," Mt. Vaea band
Pop: "Jasmine Trias," Jasmine Trias
Punk/Ska: "Scary Beast," WMF
R&B: "Tha3LOGY," Aziel
Rap: "My Life," J-Bird
Reggae: "Ekolu Music," Ekolu
Rock: "Dragon," Jake Shimabukuro
Seasonal: "An Old Fashion Christmas," Opihi Pickers & Friends
Single: "Luau Cha Cha Cha," Sonya Mendez
Slack Key Guitar: "Kiho 'Alu," Ledward Kaapana
Steel Guitar: "Jerry Byrd: Master of the Steel Guitar," Jerry Byrd
Traditional Hawaiian: "He 'Olu," Holunape
Ukulele: "Hear ...," Brittni Paiva
World Music: "Mutambo!" Mabanzi Marimba
Other awards
Mayor's Performing Arts: Don Ho
Loyal Garner Award: Na Mele
Governor's Fine Arts Award: To be announced
