Musician, composer and filmmaker Eddie Kamae has been awarded a National Heritage Fellowship, one of the country's most distinguished honors in the folk and traditional arts.

The National Endowment for the Arts presented 12 fellowships to honorees from nine states at an awards ceremony and concert in Washington, D.C., on June 29. Each fellowship included a $20,000 award.

Award winners were nominated by people in their local communities. The dozen fellowship recipients are chosen by a panel of experts in folk and traditional arts.

Past awardees include blues legend B.B. King, Cajun fiddler/composer Michael Doucet and bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe. Past Hawai'i-based winners of the fellowship include kumu hula George Na'ope (2006), vocalist/musician Auntie Genoa Keawe (2000), vocalist/musicians Solomon and Richard Ho'opi'i (1996), slack-key guitarist Raymond Kane (1987) and nine others (see box).

The 80-year-old Kamae's music career dates to the 1940s. In 1949, he toured the United States as a member of Ray Kinney's Hawaiian Revue. Kamae was also founder of influential Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance music group the Sons of Hawai'i, whose membership over the years included fellow local music legends Gabby Pahinui, David "Feet" Rogers, Leland "Atta" Isaacs, Sonny Chillingworth, Moe Keale and Dennis Kamakahi.

A multiple Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning musician, Kamae has been designated a Living Treasure of Hawai'i and received a lifetime achievement award from the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts.

In the 1980s, Kamae began a side career in film directing, with an aim of documenting Hawaiian culture and the arts. He was nominated for the fellowship by former State Foundation on Culture and the Arts folk and traditional arts coordinator John "Keoni" Fujitani.

Kamae said the award was a surprise for him.

"I'm happy for the acknowledgement," Kamae said. "Many of my friends have received this award — Raymond Kane, Ka'upena Wong and Pua and Nalani Kanaka'ole. I'm so glad to be following my friends."

Kamae said he would use the award money "to further the things (I) am doing in music and Hawaiian cultural documentaries. Whatever we can do that will leave something behind for the children."

Kamae and the current line-up of Sons of Hawai'i — Ocean Kaowili, Paul Kim, Mike Ka'awa, Analu 'Aina — will perform at the National Heritage Fellows Concert in Bethesda, Md., on Sept. 20.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.