Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau's first CD as Hapa grabbed four awards at last night's Na Hoku Hanohano Awards ceremonies, more than any other nominated disc.

Hapa's "Maui" earned top awards for album of the year and contemporary Hawaiian album of the year. The disc also won a graphics award for Solomon Enos, Scott Johnson and Flanagan, and an engineering award for Wendell Ching and Tommy Hall.

The honors for album of the year and contemporary Hawaiian album of the year were Hapa's second in both categories. With Flanagan and former musical partner Keli'i Kaneali'i, Hapa took home both trophies in 1994 for its best-selling debut "Hapa."

The prolific Aweau, who garnered a total of 10 nominations this year spread across Hapa's "Maui" and two solo discs, won six awards total. "Bass Etude" earned Aweau honors for jazz album of the year, while "Hawai'i Classic Series Vol. 1 Vintage" nabbed him a Hoku as male vocalist of the year.

The Hoku for male vocalist was Aweau's second ever in the category. The vocalist and multi-instrumentalist's "E Apo Mai" took the award in 2003.

Jack Johnson won two of four nominations for his million-plus- selling CD "In Between Dreams" — rock album of the year and song of the year for "Good People." His Hoku for rock album of the year was his second in the category, in which he won the award in 2004 for his "On and On" disc.

Accepting his Hoku for rock album of the year, Johnson thanked his wife, Kim; his mom and dad; and "my son Moe at home watching TV wondering why I'm not home."

Offering Johnson a hug backstage, musician O-Shen, who had presented him his award, gushed: "It's good to finally meet you. I've been a fan for a long time."

Johnson then took pictures with several fans.

Hapa went into last night's awards ceremony with six nods for "Maui," matching Kaumakaiwa Lopaka Kanaka'ole, Sean Na'auao, Kapono Beamer and newcomer Aaron J. Sala for most nominations this year.

KANE PREVAIL

All but one in that male-dominated lead pack took home Hoku last night.

Kanaka'ole's "Welo" earned a Hoku for Hawaiian album of the year and tied for Hawaiian-language performance honors with Holunape's "He 'Olu."

Sala won honors as most promising artist for "Ka 'Upu Aloha — Alone With My Thoughts," while the disc's "Ehuehu Mae Nei 'O Manoa" won composer Kihei de Silva the haku mele Hoku, which honors a new song or chant primarily in the Hawaiian language.

The sole award for Beamer's Grammy-nominated "Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe" CD was an engineering Hoku for Beamer and Gaylord Holomalia. The disc tied for engineering honors with Hapa's "Maui." Beamer also won the noncompetitive Ki Ho'alu Award.

Na'auao's "Ka 'Eha Ke Aloha" disc was shut out in all six of its nominated categories. Other notable multinominated musicians walking away empty-handed this year were Na Pali, former "American Idol" semifinalist Jasmine Trias and Auntie Ida Keli'i Chun.

There were a couple of first-time wins in high-profile Hoku categories.

Though shut out in four of the five categories she was nominated in, Natalie Ai Kamau'u won her first award as female vocalist of the year for her debut disc "'E." Group-of-the-year honors went to Holunape for its debut disc "He 'Olu."

Na Leo's win for contemporary album of the year with "Feel the Spirit" marked the third time that the trio has earned the honor. Na Leo also won contemporary-album honors in 1998 ("Colours") and 1996 ("Flying With Angels").

Ekolu's "Ekolu Music" scored the group its second consecutive win for reggae album of the year. Ekolu owned the category last year with "Back to the Valley — The 3rilogy."

JAKE IS FAVORITE ENTERTAINER

Shimabukuro, however, did nab the much-coveted, public-voted award for favorite entertainer of the year. He had previously won the award once as a solo artist in 2003 and as a member of Pure Heart in 1999.

Keali'i Reichel, who did not have a disc of new music out last year, won two Hoku for his hits collection "Kamahiwa: Keali'i Reichel Collection-One." The CD won an award as anthology album of the year and a liner notes award for Reichel, Puakea Nogelmeier and Fred Krauss.

Lifetime achievement awards were given to Palani Vaughan, Ohta-San, George Na'ope, Leila Hohu Kiaha and Dick Jensen.

Live musical performances last night between award presentations included Hapa, Beamer, Na'auao, Kanaka'ole, Holunape, Sala, Kamau'u and Shimabukuro.

In the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom reception area prior to the awards, Beamer was an early arrival, in a cool black suit and long strand of maile. He got a big hug from his equally well-dressed son Kamana, of the group Kamau, upon Kamana's arrival.

Slam poet Kealoha, sitting in the lobby, said he was attending "to support Barry and Nate" of Hapa, on whose "Maui" album he did a spoken word cameo.

Lei were selling as briskly as always in the lobby area, with pikake and pua kenikeni being the favorites by far. Attendees moved quickly from the reception area into the ballroom as the 6 p.m. start time for dinner drew near.

'NO SHAME THIS TIME'  Johnson arrived near that time sporting a dressy tan aloha shirt, brown slacks and slippers, sans lei (which he would get later), accompanied by his wife. Bison and Eric White of Go Jimmy Go welcomed him with handshakes.

Nominated for best reggae album with his Go Jimmy Go bandmates, White said there were no nerves accompanying the group's second Hoku nomination.

"We didn't win the last time so there's no shame this time," said White, laughing. Asked why Go Jimmy Go wasn't performing this time around, White joked that the band wanted pyrotechnics but Hoku organizers said absolutely not.

Brittni Paiva, a nominee for instrumental album of the year, arrived with her mom in tow. In a floor-length red gown accessorized with many colorful lei, Paiva admitted graduating to a Honolulu dress purchase this year instead of one from her Hilo hometown as she'd done at her first Hoku ceremonies last year.

Aweau arrived in the reception area long before Hapa partner Flanagan — who was "running a bit late, but he'll be here," Aweau promised.

Aweau swore he had no nerves about his 10 nominations going into the evening's awards. That is, "unless I don't win anything," he added, laughing.

There was no chance of that happening last night.