Important Submission Information2026 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Submissions will begin on November 1, 2025 and close on December 31, 2025.
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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 ballot is sent out to current paid HARA Membership. Once voting is completed, an accounting firm tabulates the votes and the five recordings with the most votes in each category proceed to the final ballot.
The same process is done for the Final Ballot.
The HARA Board of Governors do NOT determine the winners, the current paid HARA Membership determines the winners via online voting.
For the technical categories (graphics and liner notes) committees are established to select the five finalists on the final ballot. The accounting firm 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 adjudicated categories.
The Favorite Entertainer of the Year Award is selected by public voting conducted via an online voting process
Click the link below for information on the Na Hoku Hanohnao Awards submission guidelines.
SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES - Click Here
Judging
For 2026 Awards, All eligible recordings released between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 and submitted to the Academy will be included on the preliminary ballot and voted on by Regular and Associate members of the Academy. | The Adjudicated Categories – Graphics, Liner Notes, the 2 Engineering Awards, Haku Mele, Hawaiian Language Performance, and International Album categories were judged by graphic artists, writers, engineers, Hawaiian language and music specialists. | The preliminary and final ballot votes were conducted online at Election Runner, the Adjudicated Categories, the Favorite Entertainer vote was also conducted online, and the award recipients are announced at the awards. |
GENERAL CATEGORIES
Artists(s), producer(s) or composer(s) must be residents of the state of Hawai‘i. See below for exceptions.In general categories where groups are eligible, and the group is comprised of both Hawai‘i residents and residents outside of Hawai‘i, the group is eligible provided that a majority (more than 50%) of the members are Hawai‘i residents. Only the resident members will be eligible to receive the award.
Click Read More below for the list of General Categories.
Read moreGENERAL CATEGORIES
Album of the Year (Artist and Producerʻs Award): Best produced album release of the Year.
EP (Extended Play) of the Year: Best release that contains more than 3 but no more than 8 separate tracks, and is of less than 30 minutes in total playing time.
Hawaiian EP (Extended Play) of the Year: Best release that contains more than 3 but no more than 8 separate tracks, and is of less than 30 minutes in total playing time. 75% of the tracks must be in the Hawaiian language.
Single of the Year: Best recorded performance of a song released as a single in either physical (CD) or digital format.
Hawaiian Single : Best recorded performance of a song in the Hawaiian language released as a single in either physical (CD or digital format)
Song of the Year: (Composer’s Award) Best achievement in creating a first–time recorded song including words and music.
Instrumental Song of the Year: (Composerʻs Award) Best achievement in creating a first–time recorded instrumental composition.
Music Video of the Year: Best performance of music and video. May contain no more than two (2) distinct music tracks.
Hawaiian Music Video of the Year: Best performance of music and video. At least 75% of the video music contain musical performance or content in which the music of Hawai‘i is the subject. May contain no more than two (2) distinct music tracks.
Female Vocalist of the Year: Best performance by a female artist.
Group of the Year: Best performance by a vocal duo or group.
Male Vocalist of the Year: Best performance by a male artist.
Most Promising Artist of the Year: Most promising first–recorded effort as a featured artist or group.
Favorite Entertainer of the Year: Selected by the general public.
GENRE CATEGORIES
Albums by US Mainland residents are ONLY eligible in the Hawaiian, Island Music, Slack Key, Hawaiian EP, Hawaiian Single, Haku Mele, Hawaiian Language Performance, Hawaiian Music Video and `Ukulele categories.Non-U.S. residents are not eligible in any genre category. Singles and EPs (Extended Play releases) are ineligible in any genre category. Albums are artist awards, exceptions are noted below. Entries that feature spoken voice (as opposed to sung) will be allowed in the thematic genre categories only – Christmas, Island Music, and Religious.
Click Read More below for the list of Genre Categories.
Read moreGENRE CATEGORIES
Alternative Album of the Year: Best performance of music in an alternative style.
Anthology of the Year: Best album of previously released material.
Christmas Album of the Year: Best performance of music with a Christmas theme.
Comedy Album or DVD of the Year: Best comedy performance on an album or DVD
Compilation Album of the Year: (Producerʻs Award) Best performance of newly released material by a minimum of three distinct artists.
Contemporary Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a contemporary style, and predominantly utilizing electric and/or electronic instruments.
Contemporary Acoustic Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a contemporary style, and predominantly utilizing acoustic instruments.
Hawaiian Album of the Year: Best performance of Hawaiian music.
Hip Hop Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a Hip Hop style.
Instrumental Album of the Year: Best instrumental performance.
Island Music Album of the Year: Best contemporary performance of music of or about Hawai‘i.
Jazz Album of the Year: Best jazz performance.
Metal Album of the Year: Best metal performance.
R&B Album of the Year: Best performance of music in a R&B style.
Reggae Album of the Year: Best reggae performance.
Religious Album of the Year: Best performance of religious material.
Rock Album of the Year: Best rock performance.st jazz performance.
Slack Key Album of the Year: Best performance of slack key or vocals with slack key accompaniment.
‘Ukulele Album of the Year: Best ‘ukulele performance.
ADJUDICATED CATEGORIES
For the Adjudicated Awards, a panel of Hawaiian language experts, composers, engineers, writers, graphic designers, and music specialists appointed by the Board of Governors selects the finalists and the winner.
Click Read More below for the list of Adjudicated Categories.
Read moreADJUDICATED CATEGORIES
Haku Mele: (Composerʻs Award) Best first–released song or chant primarily in the Hawaiian Language.
Hawaiian Language Performance: (Artist Award) Best performance in the Hawaiian language.
General Engineering Award: Best technical achievement in a sound recording and mix-down for all genres of music other than Hawaiian music albums, slack key, and ‘ukulele albums.
Hawaiian Engineering Award: Best technical achievement in a sound recording and mix-down for Hawaiian music albums, slack key, and ‘ukulele albums.
Liner Notes: Best achievement in album annotation.
Graphics: Best achievement in album cover design.
International Album of the Year: Best performance by non–US performer(s) on an album or DVD whose tracks are at least 75% in the Hawaiian language or performed in slack key or Island Music styles.
HARA offers a mail-out and an email blast service to members. The list of HARA members is never distributed or shared to any individual or organization, but HARA acknowledges the importance of communicating news of an event, a new release for Hoku Award consideration, and other worthy communication to fellow members.
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