A new logo and a song will be part of the milestone 30th anniversary of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, set for June 20 at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

A theme — 'Alohilohi ka lei hoku, celebrating 30 years of the "the stars of distinction" — has been selected for this year's event, saluting achievement by Hawai'i's recording community.

The countdown has begun, with a logo designed by local artist Oliver Kinney making its debut at Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts' Web site, www.nahokuhanohano.org.

The new mele, chosen as part of a HARA contest last year, is "Na Hoku Pio 'Ole," composed by Keola Donaghy, a Hawaiian-language instructor at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo campus. Lyrics and an audio posting of the tune can be found on the Web site.

As a prelude to the awards, the organization's Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration is set for March 15 at The Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room, where honorees will include Edna Farden Bekeart, Jimmy Borges, The Brothers Cazimero, Cyrus Green and Olomana. Selection is by the group's Board of Governors.

The luncheon will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to HARA members ($75) and the public ($85). VIP seating ($100) also is available. Reservations: 593-9424.

Nominations for the 2008 awards are due Thursday. Preliminary and final ballots will be mailed to HARA members in the next few months.

Nomination forms are available at the HARA Web site, www.nahokuhanohano.org/awards.html.

Eligible recordings must have been created, produced, engineered and recorded by a Hawai'i resident for primary distribution in the Islands. Recordings must have been released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2007.

Tickets for the Hoku awards ceremony will be available after balloting is completed and nominees are announced in the weeks ahead.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.