Two Big Island musicians were winners at Saturday night’s 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Hanohano Awards, presented by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.
Two Big Island musicians were winners at Saturday night’s 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Hanohano Awards, presented by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.
Mark Yamanaka, a Hilo singer/songwriter guitarist and musician, took home the award for Christimas Album of the Year with Kauai’s Lihau and Kellen Paik, collectively known as “Kupaoa” for their CD “A Gift of the Heart.” For Yamanaka, it’s his 10th Hoku award.
Kimie Miner, a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Kona, took Contemporary Album of the Year honors for her CD “Kimie Miner,” her second full album release. For Miner, it was her first Hoku award.
The evening’s sentimental favorite, 80-year-old jazz singer Jimmy Borges, who has terminal lung cancer.
The native of Honolulu’s Kalihi neighborhood was awarded four Hoku statuettes, for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Favorite Entertainer of the Year for his album “Jimmy Borges.”
Borges, also an actor who appeared numerous times on both “Hawaii Five-O” series, plus “Magnum, P.I.,” “Jake and the Fatman” and “The Rockford Files,” was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 for his six-decade career, had never won a Hoku in a musical category.
Also taking home four Hokus was Chad Takatsugi for his first solo album “Ahuwale.” He won the awards for Hawaiian Music Album of the Year, Hawaiian Language Award, Haku Mele Award (composer) and shared the Liner Notes Award with kumu hula Keawe Lopes.
Takatsugi previously won multiple Hokus as a member of the band ‘Ale‘a.