award categories
Liner Notes: Best achievement in album annotation.
Graphics: Best Achievement in album cover design.
Compilation Album of the Year: Producer’s award. Best performance of newly released material by a minimum of three distinct artists. Award to resident producer.
Anthology of the Year: Producer’s award. Best album of previously released material. Award to resident producer.
Music Video DVD of the Year: Best performance of music and video on a DVD (75% musical performance).
Instrumental Album of the Year: Best instrumental performance.
Borders Favorite Entertainer of the Year Award: Selected by the public.
Reggae Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a reggae style.
Religious Album of the Year: Best performance of religious material.
Christmas Album of the Year: Best performance of music with a Christmas theme.
Haku Mele: A composer’s award. Best achievement in creating a new song or chant primarily in the Hawaiian language.
Hawaiian Language Performance: Best Performance using the Hawaiian language.
Engineering: Best Achievement in engineering.
Rock Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a rock style.
R&B Hip Hop Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a R&B or Hip Hop style.
Most Promising Artist(s) of the Year: Most promising first–recorded effort as a featured artist or group.
Contemporary Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a contemporary style.
Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year: Best performance of music of Hawai‘i in the contemporary style.
Hawaiian Album of the Year: Best performance of Hawaiian music.
Group of the Year: Best performance by a vocal duo or group.
Song of the Year: Composer’s award — best achievement in creating a first–time recorded song.
Female Vocalist of the Year: Best performance by a female artist.
Male Vocalist of the Year: Best performance by a male artist.
Album of the Year: Best cassette or compact disc release of the year. Award to resident artist and resident producer.
selection process
All eligible recordings released between January 1 and December 31 of each year and submitted to the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts are included in the preliminary balloting.
The accounting firm ONTS CPA, LLP tabulates the votes and the five recordings with the most votes in each category proceed to the final ballot.
For the technical
categories (engineering, graphics, and liner notes) committees are established
to select the five finalists on the final ballot.
ONTS CPA, LLP tabulates the votes for the final ballot and the winners
are announced at our award ceremonies. A committee of Hawaiian language
and music specialists selects the Haku Mele Award and the Hawaiian Language
Performance Award.
The Borders Favorite Entertainer of the Year Award is selected by public voting conducted at Borders and Borders Express Stores statewide.
nomination process & form
To download the Nomination Form PDF, please click here.
Completed forms should be accompanied by three (3) copies of the recorded product (if not previously submitted).
Nominees selecting the Hawaiian Language
Performance, Hawaiian Album of the Year and Haku Mele categories must submit
an additional (10) ten copies of the recorded product for the committee
judges.
Please mail to:
Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts
Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards
P.O. Box 821
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96808
or deliver to:
949 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 103
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
For more information, call the HARA office at (808) 593-9424.