The 19th annual Kani Ka Pila Grille Talent Search brings four finalists together to perform for a panel of Hawaiian music industry professionals at the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Emcees for the event happening at the festival's Main Stage include Billy V and Bruddah Wade.
The talent search starts at 2 p.m. with a performance by the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning trio, ʻŌlauniu, which won the talent search in 2025.
Then at 2:30 p.m., catch the finalists — Makana Arce, Moon Kahale, Keawe Kaluhiwa and ʻĀlewa — who will perform three songs, or for up to 20 minutes of non-stop music. At 5 p.m., the contest winner will be announced and perform once more on that stage.
The winner earns a one-month paid performance contract at Kani Ka Pila Grille, a poolside restaurant and bar that offers live Hawaiian music at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort. Spearheaded by Luana Maitland, Outrigger’s area director of cultural experience, the talent search has become a chance for artists to gain mentors, paid performance opportunities and marketing support.
“Each year, we are reminded of how much talent and heart exists within our Hawaiian music community,” Maitland said in a written statement. “The Talent Search gives musicians a stage, professional support and the encouragement to continue developing their craft. We are honored to welcome this year’s finalists and excited to see how each one shares their unique voice, manaʻo.”
Judges of the talent search contest this year include Kawika Kahiapo, an award-winning musician, singer-songwriter and slack key player; Milton Lau, CEO of the Ki-Hoʻalu Foundation and founder of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals; Bobby Moderow Jr., an award-winning musician, singer-songwriter and slack key player; and Eric Lagrimas, assistant professor of the Music and Entertainment Learning Experience (MELE) at Honolulu Community College.
On July 11, Ei Nei, a trio which won the talent search in 2017, captured six Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards: Group of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Island Music Album of the Year, and Favorite Entertainer of the Year.
The last four talent search winners — ʻŌlauniu, Rickey Kamai, Kahiau Lam Ho and Anthony Pfluke — earned nominations for Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards last month. Several took home top prizes. ʻŌlauniu won the Hawaiian Language Performance of the Year and the Haku Mele of the Year awards. Pfluke won Contemporary Acoustic Album of the Year. He also joined Kamaka Camarillo in winning Hawaiian Music Video of the Year.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
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