An Oahu halau whose kumu hula is a Keaukaha native made a clean sweep of the kane and overall categories at the 53rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition.

Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, under the direction of kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, took both the overall and kane overall categories with 1,225 points. The halau also won the kane hula kahiko (ancient hula) and hula ‘auana, while the halau’s wahine won the wahine hula kahiko category.

The results of this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition is as follows:

OVERALL

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua (kane), kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, 1225 points

2. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi (kane), na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 1212 points

3. Halau Mohala ‘Ilima (wahine), kumu hula Mapuana de Silva, 1209 points

KANE OVERALL

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, 1225 points

2. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 1212 points

3. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 1196 points

WAHINE OVERALL

1. Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, kumu hula Mapuana de Silva, 1209 points (won tiebreaker)

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Breeze Ann Kalehuaonalani Vidinha Pavao, 1209 points

3. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o, 1206 points

KANE HULA KAHIKO

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, 606 points (won tiebreaker)

2. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 606 points

3. Ke Kai O Kahiki, kumu hula La‘akea Perry, 605 points

4. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 596 points

WAHINE HULA KAHIKO

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, 611 points

2. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 604 points

3. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o, 603 points (won tiebreaker)

4. Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, kumu hula Mapuana de Silva, 603 points

5. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Breeze Ann Kalehuaonalani Vidinha Pavao, 600 points

KANE HULA ‘AUANA

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV, 619 points

2. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 606 points

3. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 600 points

4. Ke Kai O Kahiki, kumu hula La‘akea Perry, 586 points

WAHINE HULA ‘AUANA

1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, 611 points.

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Breeze Ann Kalehuaonalani Vidinha Pavao, 609 points

3. Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, kumu hula Mapuana de Silva, 606 points

4. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o, 603 points

5. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes, 602 points

See the Tribune-Herald Monday edition for a wrap-up of Merrie Monarch 2026.