Richard Hoʻopiʻi Leo Kiʻekiʻe Falsetto Contest 2026

The contest was founded around 2002 by Maui-born falsetto master Richard Hoʻopiʻi (1941–2018), who received a 1996 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship for his role in preserving Hawaiian falsetto traditions. A Grammy co-recipient and 2015 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Hoʻopiʻi spent decades recording and performing leo kiʻekiʻe — Hawaiian falsetto singing. The inaugural contest was won by his late son Ramsey Hoʻopiʻi.

The evening centers on individual competitor performances judged on voice quality, Hawaiian language proficiency, and execution of the haʻi — the characteristic catch or register break as the voice transitions to higher registers — within a 7-minute limit per entry. A house band accompanies contestants throughout. The 2025 contest (its 23rd year) drew five competitors, including a singer from Chiba, Japan, continuing international participation that dates back at least to 2005. The 2025 first-place prize package included a Kanileʻa Koa tenor ukulele and a two-night resort stay, valued at approximately $8,150.