‘Win the City’ competition nurtures next generation of Hawaii talent

Sunrise admin October 20, 2026 0 Comments

‘Win the City’ competition nurtures next generation of Hawaii talent

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A statewide talent competition is giving Hawaii high school students the opportunity to showcase their talent and win cash and prizes.

Ty Tamagawa, of Win the City LLC, and singer and actor Malia Aiello joined Hawaii News Now Sunrise to talk about Win the City Talent Competition and how it aims to inspire the next generation of keiki to follow their passions.

“There’s a lot of gifted keiki in Hawaii, and we feel like the arts aren’t really prioritized as much as it should be the talent we’ve got,” Tamagawa said. “But also, we just want to give a place where the kids can get life spoken into them by their artists, that they look up to get encouraged and guidance.”

Mentorship beyond the stage

Tamagawa said contestants who pass the audition round will be able to take part in workshops and gain mentorship from artists and performers, to prepare for the main stages of the competition.

He described it as a learning experience intended to give encouragement and guidance throughout the process, helping participants grow in confidence for their next steps on stage and in their futures.

“There’s kind of an anxiety from the future. So, we want to help address that and uplift our kids can get the community to back them up,” Tamagawa said. “Just positive, you know, experience for them so they can grow as people, as musicians, dancers and just, you know, give them a good future.”

Celebrating local talent

Aiello said Hawaii has deep talent and mana across the islands, and she hopes the competition inspires young performers to keep growing.

“We have so much like mana across the island. And we just want to make a space where people can grow and share what they have not only put Hawaii on the map, but show kids that their future is right there,” Aiello said.

Tamagawa said the competition is open to high school students who dance, sing or perform music.

Winners will receive a range of prizes.