‘Kīpuni Aloha No Maui’ Live Statewide Broadcast Wins National Award

Akakū Maui Community Media, along with sister access stations ‘Ōlelo on Oahu, Hō’ike on Kaua’i and Nā Leo on Hawai’i Island, won two Hometown Media Awards at the Alliance for Community Media national conference in San Jose, California in late June, for a collaborative effort to broadcast a statewide vigil following the Aug. 8. 2023 Maui wildfires.

The Hawai’i Executive Collaborative (HEC), along with Rediscovering Hawai’i’s Soul, partnered with Public Access Television Stations in each county to simultaneously broadcast daylong, live, statewide, vigils from multiple locations across the Hawaiian Islands on Sept. 1, 2023. The intention of the ‘Kīpuni Aloha No Maui’ event was to bring much needed emotional and spiritual healing in the aftermath of the August wildfires. The sunrise, noon and sunset ceremonies were rooted in Native Hawaiian practices and included leaders of diverse faiths.

The event generated more than 541 stories, and mentions from local, national, and international media outlets with an estimated 5.84 million views.

The collaborators earned recognition for their topical and technical achievement. 

Akakū’s production team, led by Production Director Kat Tracy, covered vigils from Moloka’i and Hāna, in addition to east, central, and west Maui.

“Akakū is honored to have helped produce this unprecedented, live, statewide broadcast with the HEC,” organization leaders said.

Highlights from the vigil are available online at: bit.ly/Maui-Vigil.