George Kahumoku Jr. (right) is congratulated by Max Angel (left) and Jason Jerome after receiving the inaugural E Ola Mau Ka Mele award from Hula Grill Kaanapali last week Thursday.

KAANAPALI — Hula Grill Kaanapali has named George Kahumoku Jr. as the recipient of its inaugural E Ola Mau Ka Mele award for his efforts to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through the playing and teaching of music.

The award was presented to Kahumoku during a private ceremony at Hula Grill on April 20.

Hula Grill established the E Ola Mau Ka Mele award this year to recognize individuals, like Kahumoku, who live and exemplify Hawaiian music traditions.

An area within the restaurant will be set aside to spotlight the current and future recipients.

“We are excited to recognize George Kahumoku Jr. with our first E Ola Mau Ka Mele award,” said Hula Grill Kaanapali General Manager Amber Compton.

“His commitment to perpetuating the culture of our islands and empowering the people of Hawaii through music is something that needs to be recognized and celebrated.”

Kahumoku is a four-time Grammy Award-winning musician, multi-Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner, performer, teacher, artist and farmer with master’s degrees in sculpture, business administration and fine arts.

He founded the Institute of Hawaiian Music at the University of Hawaii Maui College, supporting young musicians and contributing to the growing interest and revitalization of Hawaiian music.

In 2022, Kahumoku received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

He has more than 1,500 chants and poems, thousands of drawings, hundreds of stories and over 300 songs, some of which are featured in the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Series that was first released in 1994.