On April 22, 2017, guests were in for a surprise at the 2017 Pele Awards, an awards banquet for the best of Hawaiʻi's advertising industry, in the form of Pele Awards: The Musical.

Held at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel's Monarch Room, the 2017 Pele Awards brought together the creative minds of Dane Neves and Jason Lent of LENT Enterprises, the ad agency selected to produced the 2017 awards show.  The storyline follows the trials and tribulations of Dane the Puppet, a young ad intern trying to get his foot in the door, loosely mirroring Lent's real life experiences in the industry.  With 11 original songs written by Neves and Lent, and performed by local singers, actors, and dancers, Pele Awards: The Musical proved to the audience's industry professionals that Everyone Deserves A Shot.

The 2017 Pele Awards: The Musical is available to purchase on iTunes.  A portion of the proceeds go to AAF-District 13’s Pele Awards College and High School Student Scholarship Fund.

The Big Night

Passion

If I Believe

The Second Act

Everyone Deserves A Shot

The Good Day Song (Reprise)

Pink Slip

Foot In The Door

The Good Day Song

"Good Day Song" was one of the first original songs written by Dane Neves, back in his high school days. The song debuted in Neves' 2008 short film "Man Vs" as the show-stopping musical finale. It was used once again as a finale song in Neves' web series "Not Another Puppet Show". In 2017, Neves repurposed the song as a story-specific introductory number, slow ballad, and finale for a live theatrical show for the Pele Awards, the Oscars of Hawaii's advertising industry. 

This version of "Good Day Song" is Neves' ultimate version, retaining the song's theatrical Pop Rock vibe and pushing lyrics that address overcoming loneliness.

Good Day Song

Dane Neves is an accomplished filmmaker and communications specialist with a myriad of creative expertise. With skills ranging from directing to writing to editing to marketing, Neves' independent films and corporate promotional videos have garnered local, national, and international recognition.  

Neves earned film degree through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Academy for Creative Media. Following his passion for storytelling and community engagement, Neves went on to work in television at ʻŌlelo Community Media, Oʻahu's PEG access provider. Throughout his career at ʻŌlelo, Neves developed deep ties within the communities of urban Honolulu, providing media training and production services to members of the public, eventually advancing into the company’s Marketing department. In addition to the many TV spots, graphic ads, and corporate documentaries he created, Neves also served, for many years, as the awards show producer of Youth Xchange, Hawaiʻi’s largest statewide student video competition.  

​Neves continuously strives to expand his skill set with alternate forms of artistry. In 2017, he was invited to write the libretto for, direct, and perform puppetry for the Pele Awards, one of 15 District Competitions for the American Advertising Awards recognizing the best advertising and creative design work in Hawaiʻi. His success with this live stage production led to the opportunity to record a music album Felt Something Beautiful featuring 10 original songs written and performed by Neves himself.

​Additional acting performances by Neves, including puppetry and voice over work, can be seen or heard in promotional media for DTRIC Auto Insurance, Hawaiian Telcom, 76 Hawaii, Servco Pacific, Inc., and Honolulu Pride.

Neves is based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and serves on the Board of Hawaii Filmmakers Collective.