The Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards trace their origins to 1978 and KCCN-AM Radio, then the world’s only all-Hawaiian music radio station.

The Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts also directs programs to promote quality and growth in the recording and music industries in Hawai‘i. In conjunction with Tropical Music, Inc., Hawai‘i state universities and colleges, the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts awards scholarships annually. The Academy has conducted seminars and panel sessions on the music and recording business with the Recording Academy and the Hawai‘i Island Economic Development Board. In conjunction with the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and Hawai‘i book, fashion and food groups, it participates in events and projects promoting Hawai‘i product.

A separate ceremony for the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards honors Hawai‘i recording industry pioneers and veterans, who are also acknowledged during the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards live broadcast.