Kuana Torres Kahele, founding member of Na Palapalai and a top solo artist since the release of his solo debut album, "Kaunaloa," last summer, received a pace-setting 10 nominations when the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts announced the finalists for the 2012 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards last week.
Kahele’s nominations include male vocalist, Hawaiian album, favorite entertainer and album of the year. He is also a finalist for song of the year, a category in which the award goes to the composer rather than the recording artist, and has two nominations in the prestigious Haku Mele category for best achievement in creating a new song or chant primarily in the Hawaiian language.
Waipuna — Kale Hannahs and Matthew Sproat — is a close second with nine nominations for the duo’s second album, "E Ho‘i Mai." Robert Cazimero collected eight nominations for "Hula."
Hi‘ikua ("Aia i Hi‘ialo") and Natalie Ai Kamauu ("‘A") garnered six nominations each, and Lehua Kalima ("Rising in Love") and Mailani Makainai ("‘Aina") have five nominations each.
The big changes this year are the inauguration of a separate category for hip-hop music and the creation of an entirely new category — international music — that is limited to foreign nonresidents.
The HARA membership chooses the winners in 23 categories. The favorite entertainer is determined by a public vote.
Winners in the two Hawaiian language categories (haku mele and Hawaiian language performance) are selected by a panel of specialists in Hawaiian songwriting.
The winner in the engineering category is selected by a panel of mainland studio engineers who do not work in the local recording industry.
The new international album category also will be adjudicated.
The winners will be announced at the 35th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards at the Hawai‘i Convention Center on May 27.
Here is a partial list of finalists. For the complete list, visit staradvertiser.com.
MOST PROMISING ARTIST
» Abrigo Ohana
» Kainalu
» Starr Kalahiki
» Kawena
» John Ioane Keanaaina Jr.
» Josh Tatofi
FEMALE VOCALIST
» Natalie Ai Kamauu, "‘A"
» Raiatea Helm, "Sea of Love"
» Starr Kalahiki, "Salt"
» Lehua Kalima, "Rising in Love"
» Mailani Makainai, "‘Aina"
MALE VOCALIST
» Robert Cazimero, "Hula"
» Shawn Ishimoto, "John Valentine Presents Shawn My Kine of Music V.3"
» Willie K, "Warehouse Blues"
» Kuana Torres Kahele, "Kaunaloa"
» Henry Kapono, "Henry"
GROUP
» Ekolu, "Simply for Love"
» Hi‘ikua, "Aia i Hi‘ialo"
» Dennis Kamakahi & Stephen Inglis, "Waimaka Helelei"
» Nuff Sedd, "Life … in a Song"
» Waipuna, "E Ho‘i Mai"
HIP-HOP ALBUM
» "Drown ‘Em in Beats, Save ‘Em with Rhymes," Nocturnal Sound Crew & Slapp Symphony
» "Illnomadic," Navid Najafi
» "Now! Serving Family Dinner—a Sporkful of Funk!!!" Family Dinner Band
» "Reflections," Tripple Los
INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
» "Hawaiian at Heart — Unique Ukulele Artistry," Harold Uchino
» "Mystical Soul," Dennis Soares
» "Open Tuning Improvisations," Dennis Soares
» "Peace Love Ukulele," Jake Shimabukuro
» "Rejects from the Soundtrack of My Imaginary Movie," David Kauahikaua
» "Ukulele Island," Kenneth Makuakane
SLACK KEY ALBUM
» "In My Heart: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar & Ukulele Instrumentals," Doug and Sandy McMaster
» "Kamaalua," Patrick Landeza
» "Na Lani o Maui — Maui Skies: Traditional and Contemporary Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," James Kimo West
» "Waimaka Helelei," Dennis Kamakahi, Stephen Inglis
» "Wao Akua (The Forest of the Gods): Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Instrumentals," George Kahumoku Jr.
ISLAND MUSIC ALBUM
» "E Ho‘i Mai," Waipuna
» "Ekahi," Abrigo Ohana
» "Mystical Molokai," Eddie Akio Waimakanui Tanaka Jr.
» "No Ku‘uipo," Ahumanu
» "Sea of Love," Raiatea Helm
INTERNATIONAL ALBUM
» "Hawaiian Music for Hula," Kapalili
» "Ka Pilina," Park Sang Eon
» "Kayo Hula, Vol. 2: Asian Mele Hula," various artists
» "My Sweet Lei," Na Lei
» "Ohana," Kaulana
REGGAE ALBUM
» "Feeling Good," Micah G
» "Got This Music," Natural Vibrations
» "Love Town," Kolohe Kai
» "Simply for Love," Ekolu
» "Ways & Means," The Green
HAWAIIAN ALBUM
» "‘A," Natalie Ai Kamauu
» "Aia i Hi‘ialo," Hi‘ikua
» "‘Aina," Mailani Makainai
» "Hula," Robert Cazimero
» "Kaunaloa," Kuana Torres Kahele
ROCK ALBUM
» "Deep Water," Allan Thomas
» "Invent," Sing the Body
» "Legs of Our Own," The Throwdowns
» "Pimpbot," Pimpbot
» "Warehouse Blues," Willie K
FAVORITE ENTERTAINER
» Robert Cazimero
» Raiatea Helm
» Hi‘ikua
» Willie K
» Kuana Torres Kahele
» Lehua Kalima
» Natalie Ai Kamauu
» Mailani Makainai
» Jake Shimabukuro
» Waipuna
JAZZ ALBUM
» "Salt," Starr Kalihiki
» "Sentimental Swing-Violin," Duane Padilla
» "Tone Colors," Les Peetz, Dean Taba, Noel Okimoto
» "Ukulele Jazz: Live in Concert Hilo, Hawaii," Benny Chong
» "We Go to Hilo," Glen Goto and Friends
CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
» "Contagious," Kanohowailuku Helm
» "Henry," Henry Kapono
» "Kainalu," Kainalu
» "My Journey," LT Smooth
» "Rising in Love," Lehua Kalima
ALBUM
» "‘A," Natalie Ai Kamauu, producers Dave Tucciarone, Iolani Kamauu, Natalie Ai Kamauu
» "‘Aina," Mailani Makainai, producers Dr. Trey, Jon De Mello
» "E Ho‘i Mai," Waipuna, producers Kale Chang, Waipuna
» "Hula," Robert Cazimero, producers Jon De Mello, Robert Cazimero
» "Kaunaloa," Kuana Torres Kahele, producers Kuana Torres Kahele, Dave Tucciarone
