diff --git a/hack/tools/release/notes.go b/hack/tools/release/notes.go
index 83fa935a3938..42c4eaf7dac9 100644
--- a/hack/tools/release/notes.go
+++ b/hack/tools/release/notes.go
@@ -452,27 +452,32 @@ func generateReleaseNoteEntry(c *commit) (*releaseNoteEntry, error) {
 	switch {
 	case strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, ":sparkles:"), strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, "✨"):
 		entry.section = features
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":sparkles:")
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "✨")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":sparkles:"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "✨"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.ToUpper(string(entry.title[0])) + entry.title[1:]
 	case strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, ":bug:"), strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, "🐛"):
 		entry.section = bugs
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":bug:")
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "🐛")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":bug:"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "🐛"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.ToUpper(string(entry.title[0])) + entry.title[1:]
 	case strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, ":book:"), strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, "📖"):
 		entry.section = documentation
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":book:")
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "📖")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":book:"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "📖"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.ToUpper(string(entry.title[0])) + entry.title[1:]
 		if strings.Contains(entry.title, "CAEP") || strings.Contains(entry.title, "proposal") {
 			entry.section = proposals
 		}
 	case strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, ":seedling:"), strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, "🌱"):
 		entry.section = other
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":seedling:")
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "🌱")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":seedling:"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "🌱"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.ToUpper(string(entry.title[0])) + entry.title[1:]
 	case strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, ":warning:"), strings.HasPrefix(entry.title, "⚠️"):
 		entry.section = warning
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":warning:")
-		entry.title = strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "⚠️")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, ":warning:"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimPrefix(entry.title, "⚠️"), " ")
+		entry.title = strings.ToUpper(string(entry.title[0])) + entry.title[1:]
 	default:
 		entry.section = unknown
 	}