Two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere and other 2011 Grammy finalists are among the winners in Johnny Kai’s 15th Annual Hawaii Music Awards.

Kai, an awards promoter and former entertainer, will present awards to winners in 31 categories during an awards show April 11 at the Japanese Cultural Center.

Kai created the Hawaii Music Awards in the mid-1990s to recognize local recording artists who may have been overlooked in the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. He adjusts the categories each year to accommodate the recordings submitted. In categories with only a single title, the honoree receives a "Recognition Award" for keeping the category alive.

Voting is by e-mail and open to the public.

Carrere’s album "Huana Ke Aloha" was honored in the children’s music category, while "Amy Hanaiali’i and Slack Key Masters of Hawai’i" — the group project by Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom, Dennis Kamakahi, Elmer "Sonny" Lim Jr., Chino Montero, Cyril Pahinui and Jeff Peterson — won in the contemporary Hawaiian category.

And the winners are . . .

» Adult contemporary: The Waitiki 7, "New Sounds of Exotica"
» Anthology: Dennis Soares, "Worldwide Composers Vol. 1"
» Children’s music: Tia Carrere, "Huana Ke Aloha"
» Classical music: Kool Hand Uke, "Classical Ukulele Masterpieces"
» Compilation album: G. Kahumoku, D. Kamakahi and S. Lim for "Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Vol. 3"
» Contemporary Hawaiian: "Amy Hanaiali’i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii"
» Dancehall reggae (Recognition Award): HaleAmanO, "Haleamano House of Sharks"
» DVD: Typical Hawaiians, "Honolulu City Life"
» Exotica music: Tiki Joe’s Ocean, "Under the Midnight Sun"
» Film Score (Recognition Award): L.M. Azpiazu, "Film Noir: The Musical"
» Folk music: Stephen Inglis, "Slackin’ on Dylan"
» Hip hop: Yung Tunez, "InVasion"
» Inspirational/gospel music: Cindy Paulos, "Practicing Aloha"
» Island contemporary: Heart & Soul, "Take It Easy"
» Jazz: Paul Shimomoto, "All That Hawaiian Jazz"
» Latin music (Recognition Award): Rolando Sanchez, "Vamonos de Fiesta (Let’s Go Party)"
» New age: Shawn Livingston Mosely, "Karmatic Contracts"
» Polynesian music: Te Vaka, "Haoloto"
» Pop music: Hana & Satchwell, "Love of These Islands"
» Rap music: I.A., "Beyond Paradise"
» Reggae: The Green, "The Green"
» Rhythm and blues: Brysen G., "Grown"
» Rock: Buck Rogers and Family, "The Allright Band"
» Seasonal music: John Tussey, "Christmas Impressions"
» Single: J. Boog, "Let’s Do It Again"
» Ska music (Recognition Award): My Peoples, "Light Up"
» Slack Key (tie): Doug & Sandy McMaster, "Hanalei Tradition"; Patrick Landeza, "Kuu Honua Mele (My Music World)"
» Steel Guitar: Keala Records, "Hawaiian Steel Vol. 6"
» Traditional Hawaiian: Napua Makua, "Mohalu"
» Ukulele music: Herb Ohta Jr., "’Ukulele Nahenahe"
» World music: Angela Crandall, "Malaika"