The 12th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2024 Results
Date: Fri July 26, 2024 (Hawaii Time)
Venue: Prince Waikiki Hotel
Category Winners (Category Prizes)
SOLO KEIKI & TEEN CATEGORY: 1st PLACE Kaika (USA)
SOLO KEIKI & TEEN CATEGORY: 2nd PLACE Ada Lovenjak (Slovenia)
SOLO KEIKI & TEEN CATEGORY: 3rd PLACE Karin (Japan)
SOLO OPEN CATEGORY: 1st PLACE Mako Kitamura (Japan)
SOLO OPEN CATEGORY: 2nd PLACE Haruki Hirose (Japan)
SOLO OPEN CATEGORY: 2nd PLACE Viggy (USA)
SOLO VOCAL CATEGORY: 1st PLACE Sosuke (Japan)
SOLO VOCAL CATEGORY: 2nd PLACE Sebukulele (France)
SOLO VOCAL CATEGORY: 3rd PLACE Mao (Japan)
SOLO GROUP CATEGORY: 1st PLACE Marion & Andi's Ukulele Therapy (Austria)
SOLO GROUP CATEGORY: 2nd PLACE Two Jasmine Flowers (China)
SOLO GROUP CATEGORY: 3rd PLACE Flatnine Ukulele Jazz Orchestra (South Korea)
GRAND CHAMPION AWARD 2024
Name: SOSUKE
Song Title: Lepe ‘Ula’ula
KZOO ORIGINAL SONG PRIZE
Name: TAIRA
Song Title: Believe in you
KAMAKA PRIZE
Name: Kazuma (Japan)
Song Title: "Touch" Jake Shimabukuro
KoAloha PRIZE (Best Hawaiian Song)
Name: Oleg Lapkovskiy (Russia)
Song Title: "Crazy G" Folk
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Name: Ua Nani (Japan)
Song Title: "Pua Lililehua" Mary Kawena Pukui and Kahauanu Lake
Best Smile PRIZE
Name: Two Jasmine Flowers (China)
Song Title: "Start" Depapepe
Best Challenge PRIZE
Name: Orion Sky Kawabuchi (Hawaii, USA)
Song Title: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley (Covered by Orion Sky Kawabuchi) Bob Marley
Best Tribute PRIZE
Name: Brailey Aw Yu Xuen (Malaysia)
Song Title: "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Best Kawaii PRIZE
Name: みちくさkids - Michikusa kids (Japan)
Song Title: "It's a Small World" The Sherman Brothers
Best Impact PRIZE
Name: Sae Iwatsuki (Japan)
Song Title: "Dokonoko kinoko" lyrics: MORI CHIYOKO composer: Sachertorte
Ukulele Foundation PRIZE
Name: Aren (Japan)
Song Title: "Let It Be" Lennon-McCartney
Ukulele Foundation PRIZE
Name: Aaron Chuang (Taiwan)
Song Title: "Crazy G"
Thumbs-Up PRIZE
Name: Yuto (Japan)
Song Title: "Fireman's Hula" Matilda Kauwe
Best Kupuna PRIZE
Name: Yoshiyuki Yamakawa (Japan)
Song Title: "On a Little Bamboo Bridge" Al Sherman
The 11th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2022 Results
Date: Saturday, May 28th, 2022, 6pm-8pm (Hawaii Time)
Venue: KZOO Radio Online Streaming
Category: Solo: Keiki & Teen (ages 3 – 18)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | RayRay Cheng | Taiwan |
| 2nd | Koyo Kawasaki | Japan |
| 3rd | Shota Oba | Hawaii, USA |
Category: Solo: Open (ages 19 and over)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Jason Checkla | New York, USA |
| 2nd | Nia Keranova | Bulgaria |
| 3rd | Kiwamu Kamiike | Japan |
Category: Solo: Vocal
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Jessica Maeve | Texas, USA |
| 2nd | KOUME | Japan |
| 3rd | Soh Szee Sann | Malaysia |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Ukulele Duo Lemon | Japan |
| 2nd | Homies Ukulele Orchestra | Japan |
| 3rd | Sunset Ukulele Team | Japan |
KZOO ORIGINAL SONG PRIZE
Name: Koyo Kawasaki (Japan)
BEST KUPUNA PRIZE
Name: Breeze (Japan)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (Best Hawaiian Song)
Name: Hiroshi Okada Hawaiian Music School (Japan)
GRAND CHAMPION – HIGHEST SCORE
Name: RayRay Cheng (Taiwan)
MVP (Most Valuable Player) PRIZE
Name: Homies Ukulele Orchestra (Japan)
Other Awards
BEST KAWAII (CUTE) PRIZE
Name: Shelly Ota (Hawaii, USA)
BEST DRESSED PRIZE
Name: Brailey Aw Yu Xuen (Malaysia)
BEST SMILE PRIZE
Name: Viggy (New York, USA)
BEST FRIENDSHIP PRIZE
Name: The Models & Jerry (China)
WAY TO GO PRIZE
Name: Kara Nakagawa (Hawaii, USA)
BEST CHALLENGE PRIZE
Name: So-chan (Japan)
BEST TRIBUTE PRIZE
Name: Seiya Orita (Japan)
BEST IMPACT PRIZE
Name: Okinawa Ukulele Mongoose (Japan)
BEST BACKGROUND PRIZE
Name: Misaki Murai (Hawaii, USA)
UKULELE FOUNDATION PRIZE
Name: Karin (Japan)
Name: Hana Yonetani (Japan)
THUMBS-UP PRIZE
Name: Lee Hieu Nguyen (Vietnam)
The 10th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2021 Results
Date: Tuesday May 4th, 2021 6pm-8pm (Hawaii Time)
Venue: KZOO Radio Online Streaming
Category: Solo: Keiki (ages 3 – 11)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Kai | Gunma, Japan |
| 2nd | Song RuoMing | Tianjin, China |
| 3rd | Xiao Heren | Tianjin, China |
Category: Solo: Teens (ages 12 – 18)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Anastasia | Alaska, USA |
| 2nd | RayRay Cheng | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 3rd | Maho Ikeda | Kanazawa City, Japan |
Category: Solo: Open (ages 19 and over)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Sofia Kaleomālie Furtado | Hawaii, USA |
| 2nd | Otojiro | Tokyo, Japan |
| 3rd | Vivian Kim | Changwon-si, South Korea |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | PingTarDuo | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2nd | ukulele duo lemon | Gunma, Japan |
| 3rd | OKONOMI Lovers | Hiroshima, Japan |
GRAND CHAMPION PRIZE
(Grand Champion will be chosen among all 1st place winners from all 4 categories)
Anastasia (Alaska, USA)
MVP (Most Valuable Player)
(Most Valuable Player will be provided the opportunity to perform live at 12th Annual ‘Ukulele Picnic in Hawai‘i )
Anastasia (Alaska, USA)
KZOO RADIO PRIZE (The Best Original Song)
陆天翔 Tianxiang Lu (Beijing, China)
Special Jury Prize (Hawaiian Song)
Hitomi Tanaka (Aichi, Japan)
Best Vocalist Prize
KOUME (Kanagawa, Japan)
Best Kawaii Prize
Karin (Tokyo, Japan)
Best Dressed Prize
Chinami Tina Ueno (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Best Impact Prize
Seiya Orita (Chiba, Japan)
Best Background Prize
Mitsuki Kaneko (Tokyo, Japan)
Ukulele Foundation Prize
Aina Yamauchi (Honolulu, Hawaii)
The 9th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2020 Results
Date: February 15th, 2020 Saturday 10:00AM-1:30PM
Venue: International Market Place Queen’s Court Stage
Category: Solo: Keiki (ages 3 – 11)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Shota Oba | Hawaii, USA |
| 2nd | Yifeng Li | California, USA |
| 3rd | Orion Sky Kawabuchi | Hawaii, USA |
Category: Solo: Teens (ages 12 – 18)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Kapono Wong | Hawaii, USA |
| 2nd | Keira | Kanagawa, Japan |
| 3rd | Mayli Winters | Minnesota, USA |
Category: Solo: Open (ages 19 and over)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Kenta Ebara | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2nd | Yoshi | Australia |
| 3rd | ALvis Chiu | New Taipei City, Taiwan |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Uke66 | Missouri, USA |
| 2nd | Singapore Ukulele Revival (SURE) | Singapore |
| 3rd | Ukulele Roku & Friends | Gunma, Japan |
GRAND CHAMPION PRIZE
(Grand Champion will be chosen among all 1st place winners from all 4 categories)
Kenta Ebara
MVP (Most Valuable Player)
(Most Valuable Player will be provided the opportunity to perform live at 12th Annual ‘Ukulele Picnic in Hawai‘i )
Kenta Ebara
KZOO RADIO PRIZE (The Best Original Song)
Kenta Ebara
Special Jury Prize (Hawaiian Song)
Kala`i Kealoha
The 8th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2019 Results
Date: February 9th, 2019 Saturday 10:00AM-1:30PM
Venue: International Market Place Queen’s Court Stage
Category: Solo: Keiki (ages 3 – 11)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Hezekiah | Hawaii, USA |
| 2nd | Shota Oba | Hawaii, USA |
| 3rd | Tzu Han Huang | Taiwan |
Category: Solo: Teens (ages 12 – 18)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Kyosuke | Chiba, Japan |
| 2nd | Jason Takao | Hawaii, USA |
| 3rd | Keenan Lau | Hawaii, USA |
Category: Solo: Open (ages 19 and over)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Richard Maxson | Missouri, USA |
| 2nd | Naoko Yabushima | Miyagi, Japan |
| 3rd | Wilson WANG | Taiwan |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | CAR Ukulele Band | Taiwan |
| 2nd | Singapore Ukulele Revival (SURE) | Singapore |
| 3rd | PoEbAk | Japan |
GRAND CHAMPION PRIZE
Kyosuke / Chiba, Japan
MVP (Most Valuable Player)
Kyosuke / Chiba, Japan
KZOO RADIO PRIZE
Richard Maxson / Missouri, USA
Special Jury Prize
Naoko Yabushima / Miyagi, Japan
The 7th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2018 Results
Date: February 10th, 2018 Saturday 10:00AM-1:30PM
Venue: International Market Place Queen’s Court Stage
Category: Solo: Keiki (ages 3 – 12)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Camren Cheung | Honolulu, HI, USA |
Category: Solo: Teens (ages 13 – 18)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Rikuya | Kanazawa, Japan |
Category: Solo: Open (ages 19 and over)
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Vanessa Ding | Taiwan |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | |
| 1st | Tegan & Kaylen | Hawaii, USA |
GRAND CHAMPION PRIZE
Tegan & Kaylen / Hawaii, USA
MVP (Most Valuable Player)
Tegan & Kaylen / Hawaii, USA
KZOO RADIO PRIZE
Tegan & Kaylen / Hawaii, USA
Special Jury Prize
T.J. Kids / Tianjin, China
The 6th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2017 Results
Date: February 11th, 2017 Saturday 10:00AM-1:20PM
Venue: Royal Hawaiian Center Royal Grove Stage
*Due to weather conditions, venue was changed to Royal Hawaiian Hotel Regency Room
Category: Solo (age under 13)
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | Brennan Lee | Hawaii, USA | 198 |
| 2nd | Usaburo Mendenhall | Hawaii, USA | 191 |
| 3rd | Chyi Lee | Taipei, Taiwan | 189 |
Category: Solo (age over 14)
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | Del H. Fujinaka | Hawaii, USA | 182 |
| 2nd | Leonardo Goran | Washington, USA | 176 |
| 3rd | Cyril Ishta Napa Payner | Bermuda | 167 |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | Usaburo & Sho | Hawaii & Texas, USA | 193 |
| 2nd | Ukulele A.C.T. | Hawaii, USA | 187 |
| 3rd | Kids Hurt Too | Hawaii, USA | 154 |
KZOO RADIO PRIZE
Brennan Lee / Hawaii, USA
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Usaburo & Sho (Hawaii & Texas, USA)
The 5th Annual International Ukulele Contest 2016 Results
Date: February 13th, 2016 Saturday 10:00AM-1:20PM
Venue: Royal Hawaiian Center Royal Grove Stage
Category: Solo (age under 13)
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | RENA | Japan/Kanagawa | 212 |
| 2nd | Feng E | Taiwan/Taipei | 206 |
| 3rd | Usaburo Mendenhall | Hawaii | 205 |
Category: Solo (age over 14)
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | Hau Yi Tsai | Taiwan | 210 |
| 2nd | Alvis | Taiwan | 206 |
| 3rd | Tomoki Suzuki | Japan/Nara | 204 |
Category: Group
| Name | Country/City | Total Score | |
| 1st | Ukulele Paina Kanazawa | Japan/Kanazawa | 217 |
| 2nd | Roku Ukulele | Japan/Maebashi | 188 |
| 3rd | Kids Hurt Too | Hawaii | 172 |
KZOO RADIO PRIZE
Hau Yi Tsai / Taiwan
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Feng E / Taiwan, Taipei
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