Ceremonies for Hawaii Music Awards tonight
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
The on-again, off-again Hawaii Music Awards finally will unfold from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Kapono's at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
Advertiser library photo • Jan. 9, 2002
Johnny Kai, founder and executive producer of the event, was still juggling lists of participants, presenters and other details last week. But he said the ceremony will be carried live on 'Olelo (Channel 56) and on the Internet at olelo.org, for those eager to watch from home.
Aunty Genoa Keawe earned the Mayor's Performing Arts Award, one of a handful of special awards announced before tonight's show.
The Hawaii Music Awards is a presentation of the Music Foundation of Hawaii, an organization eager to maintain the aloha spirit here and abroad through music.
It is smaller and more diversified than the more established Na Hoku Hanohano Awards presented by the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts.
It's the fifth season for the Hawaii Music Awards. Categories include New Age Music, Paniolo Music, Slack Key, Island Music, Rock, Reggae, Latin, Hip-Hop and Seasonal, in addition to more traditional Album of the Year and Best Male Vocalist and Best Female Vocalist.
Melveen Leed and Kimo Keawe are set to co-emcee a portion of the program, Kai said.
The roster of participating entertainers includes B.E.T., Jan Brenner, Jan Shima & SaFire with Xingu! and Da Lion Dancers, Simplisity, Hawai'i, Jan Brenner, Don Kauli'a (Maui), Nacho Cardenas (Maui), Danny Estacado (Las Vegas, but originally from Maui), Traci Toguchi, Bobby Baniaga and Kupono Kane (Maui). Tickets are $10.
Trophies will be awarded in 26 categories, with winners to be named during the ceremonies. A handful of special awards have been announced. These include:
• Governor's Fine Arts Awards: Jane Campbell, Honolulu Theatre for Youth; and Carolyn Berry, Honolulu Symphony.
• Mayor's Performing Arts Award: Genoa Keawe.
• Event of the Year: Disney Studios, for the "Pearl Harbor" festivities.
• Studio Musicians of the Year: Daniel Ho, Jake Shimabukuro.
• Mahalo Awards: Ben and Josie Vegas' and Scott Nishida's Web site, hawaiianentertainers.com, and producer Stuart Yamane of Hawai'i Public Television (KHET), for the Na Mele series.
