Grammy Award For Best Hawaiian Music Album - Category Retirement

Category Retirement

In 2011, the category Best Hawaiian Music Album was eliminated along with thirty others due to a major 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 Best Regional Roots Music Album.

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 for residing in Los Angeles). Four-time award winner George Kahumoku, Jr. expressed similar disappointment, but was partly consoled 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.