The Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists from 2005 to 2011 for quality

Hawaiian music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part ...

albums. The

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, are presented by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous f ...

of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position". Campaigning resulted in the Hawaiian category's establishment in 2005. Prior to its creation, Hawaiian music recordings were eligible for the

Best World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

category but no Hawaiian musician or group had ever won a Grammy Award. During its seven-year history, awards were presented to Charles M. Brotman for ''Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2'', producers

Daniel Ho Daniel Ho (born March 5, 1968) is an American musician, composer and producer specializing in innovative approaches to Slack-key guitar, ukulele, and Hawaiian music. He has recorded 18 solo albums, some of which have won or were nominated for G ...

, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for '' Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One'', the same production team plus George Kahumoku, Jr. for ''Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui'' in 2007 followed by ''Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar'' in 2008, and ''Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2'' in 2010,

Tia Carrere Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress, singer and former model who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. Carrere played C ...

and Ho for ''Ikena'', and Carrere for ''Huana Ke Aloha'' in 2011. Eligible recordings had to feature the

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...

on "more than half of its vocal tracks", though

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

albums were also acceptable. Awards were presented to the

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

, mixers, and/or

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

in addition to the performing artists. Daniel Ho holds the record for the most wins, with five. Four-time recipients include Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong as producers. George Kahumoku, Jr. earned three awards as a producer, and Tia Carrere earned two as a performing artist. Ho also holds the record for the most nominations, with seven.

Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom is an American vocalist and songwriter. Hanaialiʻi is a six-time Grammy Award Nominee. She is best known for reinvigorating the Hawaiian tradition of female falsetto singing. Her album ''Generation Hawaii'' won four ...

holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with five. Six of the seven Grammy-winning albums were released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations. In 2011, the Recording Academy announced the retirement of the award category. Beginning in 2012, Hawaiian music recordings were eligible for the

Best Regional Roots Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 as the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the regionally based traditional Americ ...

category.

Background

For decades prior to the creation of the Best Hawaiian Music Album category, advocates for Hawaiian music took issue with recordings only being eligible for the

category. Advocates included musicians, record labels, government officials, and the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

-based Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. No Hawaiian musician or group had been awarded a Grammy prior to the establishment of the Hawaiian Music category. One obstacle to the category's creation was defining Hawaiian music, and the eligibility requirements, in terms of music stylings and language restrictions. There has been conflict between traditional and Western-influenced Hawaiian music, mostly pertaining to the use of the slack-key guitar, an instrument invented in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

but commercialized by "mainlanders". According to Academy representative Bill Freimuth, the category was designed "for recordings of a more traditional nature". Requiring the use of

on more than half of its vocal tracks encouraged the recognition of traditional music, but

albums (such as the

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

honored at the

47th Grammy Awards The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004. They were hosted by Queen Lati ...

) circumvented this requirement.

History

Nominees for the

(2005) included:

The Brothers Cazimero The Brothers Cazimero was a Hawaiian musical duo made up of Robert Cazimero on bass and Roland Cazimero on twelve string guitar. Robert also played piano as a solo musician. The Cazimeros got their start during the Hawaiian Renaissance The ...

for ''Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell'', producer Charles M. Brotman for ''Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2'', Ho'okena for ''Cool Elevation'',

, and arranger and multi-instrumentalist

Willie K William Awihilima Kahaialiʻi (October 17, 1960 – May 18, 2020), known as Willie K, was a Hawaiian musician who performed in a variety of styles, including blues, rock, opera and Hawaiian music. Early life Born and raised in a family of mus ...

(born William Kahaialiʻi) for ''Amy & Willie Live'', and

Kealiʻi Reichel Carleton Lewis Kealiinaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born June 26, 1962) popularly known as Kealii Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from Hawaii. He has spent ...

for ''Keʻalaokamaile''. Hanaialiʻi and Reichel both expressed happiness at being nominated, the latter stating, "This is the culmination of the work of chanters, singers and poetry writers that dates back over a thousand years." One

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

contributor wrote that the nominees illustrated the range of Hawaiian music at the time, "from traditional songs for guitar and ukulele to more modernized approaches". ''Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell'' contained traditional Hawaiian folk songs and chants and the use of traditional instruments such as the acoustic bass and 12-string guitar. Hoʻokena members Many Boyd, Horace K. Dudoit III, Chris Kamaka and Glen H.K. Smith created music for ''Cool Elevation'' using the ukulele, acoustic bass, and guitar. Scott Iwasaki of the ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' described ''Amy & Willie Live'' as a "playful array of Hawaiian jazz". ''Ke'alaokamaile'', a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about Reichel's immediate ancestors, combines traditional Hawaiian chants with original songs. The album also included contemporary covers of

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

's "You Were There",

Karla Bonoff Karla may refer to: People * Karla (name), a feminine given name * Petras Karla (1937–1969), Soviet Olympic rower Places * Karla, Kose Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * Karla, Rae Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * Kärl ...

's "Goodbye My Friend", and Sting's "

Fields of Gold "Fields of Gold" is a song written and performed by English musician Sting. It first appeared on his fourth studio album, ''Ten Summoner's Tales'' (1993). The song was released as a single on 7 June 1993, reaching 16 on the UK Singles Chart an ...

". The award went to Brotman for the slack key guitar compilation album recorded in Hawaii and described by journalist Nate Chinen as "an easy-listening instrumental compilation seemingly tailored to mainland tastes". According to Jon de Mello, founder of Hawaiian

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

Mountain Apple Company The Mountain Apple Company is a record label based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that specializes in traditional and contemporary music of Hawaii as well as other artists with a connection to Hawaii. It is known for popularizing the career of Israel Kama ...

, other nominees' "jaws dropped on the ground" at the ceremony in reaction to their works being overlooked. Chinen claimed the Academy's "safe, bland" choice set a precedent for compilations and slack key use (five nominees the following year were slack key albums). For the 48th Grammy Awards (2006), nominees included: Kapono Beamer for ''Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe'',

Raiatea Helm Raiatea Mokihana Maile Helm (born 8 August 1984) is a Hawaiian music vocalist from Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. She has earned four Na Hoku Hanohano awards, as well as two Grammy nominations for Best Hawaiian Music Album. Helm is best known for her L ...

for ''Sweet & Lovely'',

Ledward Kaapana Ledward Kaapana (born August 25, 1948) is a Hawaiian musician, best known for playing in the slack key guitar style. He also plays steel guitar, ukulele, autoharp and bass guitar, and is a baritone and falsetto vocalist. Early life Born on August ...

for ''Kiho'alu: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar'',

Sonny Lim Elmer "Sonny" Lim is a Hawaiian musician and slack key guitar player from Waimea (Kamuela) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Sonny is part of the musical Lim Family of North Kohala. Sonny's father, Elmer Lim Sr., who was a Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) o ...

for ''Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim'', and

, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for ''Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One''.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Adam Greenberg described ''Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe'' as an ambient album with an "easy listening" sound accented with slack key motives. Songs about Beamer's family and childhood were sung in Hawaiian but also English. ''Sweet & Lovely'' featured "classic, early tourist-era" Hawaiian music and guest performances by

and Auntie Genoa Keawe. Greenberg complimented Helm for her ukulele playing and "stunning"

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

. Lim's first solo album contained slack key compositions fused with "touches of folk and possibly even adult contemporary stylings". ''Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar'', which peaked at number fifteen on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top World Music Albums chart, featured twelve live tracks recorded from the weekly slack key guitar concerts that took place in

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

. Awards were presented to Ho, Konwiser and Wong as producers of the compilation album. Peter deAquino, George and Keoki Kahumoku, and Garrett Probst joined producers Ho and Wong on stage at the podium during the pre-telecast ceremony to accept the award. Daniel Ho and George Kahumoku Jr

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

nominees included:

for ''Generation Hawai'i'', producers Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr., Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for the compilation album ''Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui'',

for ''Grandmaster Slack Key Guitar'', Henry Kapono for ''The Wild Hawaiian'', and producers Chris and Milton Lau for the compilation album ''Hawaiian Slack Key Kings''. ''Generation Hawai'i'' and ''The Wild Hawaiian'' were the two vocal-driven albums nominated, while the three remaining nominees were slack-key driven. ''The Wild Hawaiian'' consisted of rock songs in Hawaiian which drew sound comparisons to

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

and

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

. Awards were presented to

, George Kahumoku Jr., Konwiser and Wong. Ho, Konwiser and Wong became the first multiple recipients in the category as well as the first consecutive award recipients. Musicians Peter deAquino, Richard Ho'opi'i, Kaapana, and Garrett Probst of Da Ukulele Boys, all of whom contributed live tracks to the album, joined the producers on stage to perform "

Hawaii Aloha "Hawaii Aloha," also called "Kuu One Hanau," is a revered anthem of the native Hawaiian people and Hawaii residents alike. Written by the Reverend Lorenzo Lyons, (1807-1886), also known as Makua Laiana, a Christian minister who died in 1886, to an o ...

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

for the audience and to accept the award. Kahumoku's acceptance speech stressed the importance of funding public arts and music education, earning him a standing ovation from the audience. Nominees for the

50th Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonies ...

(2008) included:

Keola Beamer Keola Beamer (born Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer February 18, 1951) is a Hawaiian slack-key guitar player, best known as the composer of "Honolulu City Lights" and an innovative musician who fused Hawaiian roots and contemporary music. Keola ...

for ''Ka Hikina O Ka Hau'' (''The Coming of the Snow''),

for ''Hawaiiana'',

for ''Hawaiian Blossom'',

Cyril Pahinui Cyril Pahinui (April 21, 1950 – November 17, 2018) was a slack-key guitarist and singer of Hawaiian music. Biography He was born in Waimānalo at the foot of the Ko'olau mountains on the Hawai'ian island of Oahu. He was the son of the Haw ...

for ''He‘eia'', and previous award recipients Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for ''Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar''. For ''Ka Hikina O Ka Hau'', Beamer layers multiple guitars in different tunings to works by

John Dowland John Dowland (c. 1563 – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", "Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe", ...

Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed ''nuevo tango'', incorporating elements from ...

Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

, and other composers. Carrere's nomination resulted in ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' magazine including her on their list of "Strange Grammy Nominees" for her past associations with the ''

Wayne's World "Wayne's World" was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live''. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" (1987) on the CBC Television series '' It's Only Rock & Roll'', as the main characte ...

'' films and television show ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

''. ''Hawaiian Blossom'', Helm's third studio album, included guest artists Robert Cazimero and Led Kaapana. Greenberg again complimented Helm's falsetto vocals and recommended the album for fans of traditional Hawaiian music with a "contemporary twist". Awards were presented to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong; Daniel Ho also received an award as the engineer of the compilation album, which reached number twelve on ''Billboard'' Top World Music Albums chart. This marked the third consecutive win for the production team's live recording of Maui's long-running "Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar" concert series. 2008 was also the first year in which the presentation of the award for Hawaiian Music Album was broadcast live on the Academy's official website.

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

nominees included: Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for ''Ikena'', Amy Hanaiali'i for ''Aumakua'', Led Kaapana and Mike Kaawa for ''Force of Nature'', producers Chris and Milton Lau for ''Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Masters Series: Volume II'', and Ho, Kahumoku,

Dennis Kamakahi Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi (March 31, 1953 – April 28, 2014) was a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, music composer, and Christian minister. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, and in 2009 he was inducted i ...

, Konwiser and Wong for the compilation album ''The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar''. This year marked the first time in the category's history that all nominees were previous Best Hawaiian Music Album nominees—Hanaiali'i and Kaapana both received nominations in 2004 and 2006, Carrere was nominated in 2008, and Chris and Milton Lau were also nominated in 2006. Awards were presented to Carrere and Ho as performing artists, Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer, and Ho as both a producer and engineer. Carrere and Ho became the first nominees to win awards as recording artists following four consecutive years of producers and engineers receiving awards for compilation albums. For the

52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...

(2010), nominees included: Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for ''He Nani'', Amy Hanaiali'i for ''Friends & Family of Hawai'i'', Hoʻokena for ''Nani Mau Loa: Everlasting Beauty'', and producers Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for ''Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2''. A tied vote for the fifth nominee resulted in only four nominated works. ''Family & Friends of Hawai'i'' contained vocal pop duets set to Matt Catingub's orchestral arrangements and reached a peak position of number three on ''Billboard'' Top World Albums chart. The album featured guests Kamakahi,

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

, and Keali'i Reichel, among others. The second volume of ''Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar'' contained performances by falsetto vocalist Richard Ho'opi'i, steel guitarist Bobby Ingano, and slack-key players Kawika Kahiapo, Kamakahi, Sonny Lim, and co-producer Kahumoku. Hanaiali'i and her brother Eric Gilliom performed during the awards ceremony, providing a "mock opera lead-in" for

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film '' Ray'', for which he won the ...

on the song "

Blame It "Blame It" (also known as "Blame It (On the Alcohol)") is a song by American singer and actor Jamie Foxx, released as the second official single from his third studio album, ''Intuition'' (2008). It features singer T-Pain and was written by C ...

". In addition to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong, awards were given to Peter deAquino, Ho and Sterling Seaton as the engineers/mixers. Guitarist Jeff Peterson joined the award winners on stage during the presentation. The win marked the fifth for a compilation album and the fourth to be co-produced by Ho. Konwiser and Wong became four-time award recipients, while Kahumoku (who was not credited as a producer of the 2006 award-winning compilation album) became a three-time recipient. Amy Hanaialii Gilliom

Nominees for the

53rd Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...

included: Tia Carrere for ''Huana Ke Aloha'', Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii for ''Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii'', Daniel Ho for ''Polani'', Ledward Kaapana for ''The Legend'', and Jeff Peterson for ''Maui on My Mind: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar''. Neither of Ho's nominated compilation albums featured the slack-key guitar. In addition to Carrere, awards were presented to Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer and Daniel Ho as a producer and engineer/mixer. Related to the controversy surrounding Ho's multiple wins and supposed connections to the music industry, ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine called Carrere's win the "Best Grammy That'll Piss People Off". Carrere reportedly gave much of the credit to Ho, her long-time friend and producer. ''Huana Ke Aloha'' became the sixth consecutive Grammy-winning album released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations, causing some musicians and journalists to question whether or not the "playing field" was level. Carrere, Ho and Stillman claimed to have faced "serious consequences for the reception of

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...

work and success" by being nominated, since all three lived and worked outside of Hawaii. Ho had been specifically targeted for residing in Los Angeles and participating in various Grammy-related events throughout the year, providing an unfair advantage. Voting members of the Academy had also been criticized for not being qualified to judge Hawaiian music.

List of recipients and nominees

Category retirement

In 2011, the category Best Hawaiian Music Album, along with thirty others, was eliminated due to a major category overhaul by the Recording Academy. Four additional categories in the American Roots Music field were eliminated (Best Contemporary Folk Album, Best Native American Music Album, Best Traditional Folk Album, Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album). These were all replaced by one American Roots Music award, the Grammy for

. Daniel Ho was disappointed by the category's retirement, but considered the seven years the award was presented a "gift from the Recording Academy". Ho hoped that the category's elimination would eliminate the "craziness" surrounding the Hawaiian music controversy (he and Carrere were accused of lacking appreciation for Hawaiian music and for having inside connections to the music industry by residing in Los Angeles). Four-time award winner George Kahumoku, Jr. expressed similar disappointment, but was partly consoled by the fact that Hawaiian music recordings would still be included in the Regional Roots Music Album category. The record label Mountain Apple Company issued a statement claiming: "Hawaiian music deserves to be acknowledged as a category in its own right, not only for reasons of language but for cultural and historical reasons as well... The loss of the Grammy for Best Hawaiian Music Album is not only a major loss to the Hawaiian, but to music lovers across the globe". Michael Cord of HanaOla Records was also saddened by the elimination, but considered it "a long time coming". Hawaiian music works will now be eligible for the Best Regional Roots Music Album category.

Kalani Pe'a Kalani may refer to: * Kalani (name), list of people with the name * Kalani (percussionist) or Kalani Das, American percussionist, clinician, performer, author, and educator * Kalani (''Star Wars''), a Separatist tactical droid in the ''Star Wars ...

is the only Hawaiian Music artist to win in the new catch all category. Pe'a took home his first Grammy Award in 2017 and his second award in 2019. Pe'a also presented at the

61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...

Premiere Ceremony.

References

;General * ;Specific

External links