World Salon Awards 2027 — free to nominate
Global recognition for hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, cosmetics and skincare brands, beauty clinics, and the stylists, colourists, artists and entrepreneurs who define the industry. Judged by an independent jury — not by advertising spend. Submitting a nomination is free.
Recognition for the world's best salons, brands and beauty professionals
World Salon Awards is a global recognition platform for the hair, beauty, nail, barbering and cosmetics industry, part of the Golden Tree Awards network's World Beauty Awards family. It honours hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, multi-service beauty destinations, cosmetics and skincare brands, aesthetic clinics, and the individual stylists, colourists, artists, therapists and entrepreneurs behind them.
Winners are selected by an independent jury on documented quality — service standards, team credentials, client experience, innovation and brand presentation — never on advertising spend, sponsorship or personal relationships. Nominating for the 2027 cycle is free, and takes about fifteen minutes.
Who can nominate
Any hair salon, beauty salon, nail studio, barbershop, blow-dry bar, multi-service beauty destination, cosmetics or skincare brand, aesthetic clinic, or individual beauty professional, in any country, can be nominated. There is no minimum trading history for most categories, and dedicated categories exist for new openings and rising talent.
Salon businesses
Hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, blow-dry bars, luxury and independent salons, and salon chains.
Beauty & cosmetics brands
Cosmetics, skincare, haircare, nailcare, organic/natural beauty brands, and beauty clinics or aesthetic centres.
Individual professionals
Salon owners, managers, creative directors, hairstylists, colourists, barbers, nail artists, makeup artists, beauty therapists and trainers.
Innovation & technology
Salon booking and management technology, beauty AI, e-commerce, and digital customer-experience platforms serving the industry.
Salon Awards
Free to nominate. Hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops and wellness studios — the categories from the official Salon Awards programme.
Hair Salon Awards
Best Hair Salon of the Year, Best Luxury Hair Salon, Hairstylist of the Year and more.
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Beauty Salon Awards
Best Beauty Salon of the Year, Best Multi-Service Beauty Salon, Beauty Therapist of the Year.
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Nail Salon Awards
Best Nail Studio and Nail Artist of the Year, for independent studios and chains alike.
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Barber Awards
Best Barbershop, recognising classic and modern grooming businesses worldwide.
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Makeup Studio Awards
Best Makeup Studio and Best Lash & Brow Studio, for bridal and editorial specialists.
Explore category →Nominate for World Salon Awards 2027, free
One official form, no charge to submit. Choose your category and enter in about fifteen minutes.
Beauty & Cosmetics Awards
Not a physical salon? Cosmetics, skincare, haircare, organic beauty brands and aesthetic clinics all have dedicated categories.
Cosmetics & Skincare Brand Awards
Best Skincare Brand Company, Best Luxury Cosmetic Brand and more, for product companies.
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Haircare Brand Awards
Best Haircare Brand Company, Most Innovative Haircare Brand, for hair and personal-care companies.
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Beauty Clinic & Aesthetic Centre Awards
Best Aesthetic Clinic Company and related categories for treatment-led businesses.
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Organic & Natural Beauty Awards
Best Organic Beauty Brand and Leading Sustainable Beauty Brand, for clean-beauty companies.
Explore category →Professional Awards
Recognition for the people behind the businesses — owners, managers, stylists, artists, barbers and therapists.
Salon Owner & Entrepreneur Awards
For founders and owners building salon and beauty businesses.
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Hairstylist & Colourist Awards
Hairstylist of the Year, Best Colourist of the Year, Rising Talent in Hair.
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Nail & Makeup Artist Awards
Nail Artist of the Year and makeup-artistry recognition.
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Beauty Therapist & Trainer Awards
Beauty Therapist of the Year and Best Salon Training Programme.
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Company and person, in the same cycle
Nominate the salon or brand, and the owner, manager or lead professional — both free, each judged on its own evidence.
- No nomination fee, ever
- Independent jury, no public vote
- Winners recognised at the annual Dubai gala
How nominations work
Five published stages, the same for every category.
- Submit
Complete the online nomination form — business or professional details, category selection, supporting evidence. About fifteen minutes.
- Internal review
The Golden Tree research team verifies eligibility and confirms category fit, typically within five business days.
- Jury evaluation
An international panel of beauty industry professionals scores each shortlisted nomination against the published criteria.
- Winner selection
Scores are aggregated and audited; winners receive confidential notification before the public announcement.
- Recognition
Winners are honoured with a trophy, certificate, logo rights and international exposure.
Why participate
What jury-reviewed recognition does for a salon, brand or professional.
Evidence a client didn't ask for
An independent jury's verdict is proof of quality a booking site review or paid listing cannot offer.
A title that travels with you
For individual professionals, the title belongs to the person, not just the employer.
Marketing rights
Winners receive the official logo for unlimited use on websites, social media, signage and business cards.
Free to enter
There is no cost to submit a nomination, at any stage.
A genuinely global benchmark
Categories run at city, country, regional and world level, so local salons compete fairly in their own market.
Real client impact
Recognised salons and brands report that award status translates into bookings, pricing power and staff retention.
What the jury actually looks at
Every nomination is scored against the same published criteria: service quality and consistency, team credentials and training, client experience design, operational standards, brand presentation, and innovation in treatments, products or techniques. Strong nominations document these with specifics — client-satisfaction data, certifications, before/after results, sourcing and sustainability practices, and high-quality photography.
Nothing purchasable enters the decision. There is no nomination fee, no paid tier, and no public vote — sponsorship, advertising spend and gala ticket purchases have no influence on jury decisions.
Hear from past winners
Recordings supplied by the network from winners across the International Spa & Beauty Awards family.
Laperla Spa
Norway
Blowdry Bar Qatar
Qatar
Heart & Soul Spa
Dubai, UAE
Sohum Spas
India
Insights for nominees
How to write a winning salon award nomination
What strong nominations include, and the details that get overlooked.
Is a salon award legitimate? How to check
The red flags of a pay-to-win scheme, and how to verify a genuine programme.
How beauty brands use award recognition to grow
Where winners actually place the title and logo to convert recognition into bookings.
World Salon Awards — frequently asked questions
What are the World Salon Awards?
A global recognition platform for the salon, beauty and cosmetics industry, honouring hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, cosmetics and skincare brands, and individual beauty professionals. It operates under the Golden Tree Awards network's World Beauty Awards family.
Who can apply for the salon awards?
Hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, blow-dry bars, and multi-service beauty concepts are all eligible, along with cosmetics and skincare brands and individual professionals.
Is it free to nominate for World Salon Awards 2027?
Yes. Submitting a nomination for World Salon Awards 2027 is free. No nomination charge applies.
Is the evaluation merit-based, or is there a public vote?
Evaluation is merit-based. An independent jury of beauty industry professionals scores each shortlisted nomination against the published criteria; sponsorship, advertising spend and gala ticket purchases have no influence on jury decisions.
Can independent salons compete against large chains?
Yes. Independent salons, boutique studios and national chains all enter, and dedicated categories exist for independent and chain operators so comparable businesses are judged together.
What award category should my salon choose?
Start with your business type — hair salon, beauty salon, nail studio, barbershop or wellness studio — then the specific category whose description matches your strongest evidence. The category pages list every option.
Is World Salon Awards open to salons and brands outside the Middle East?
Yes. World Salon Awards is genuinely global — hair salons, beauty salons, nail studios, barbershops, cosmetics brands and individual professionals from any country are eligible, with categories judged at city, country, regional and world level.
Do I need to attend the gala to win?
No. Winners are notified in advance of the public announcement and receive their recognition package whether or not they attend.
Can I nominate myself, or does someone else have to nominate me?
Both are accepted. Self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcomed and assessed on the same criteria.
Is there a minimum trading history to enter?
No, there is no minimum trading history requirement for most categories, and dedicated categories exist for new openings (under three years) and rising professionals (within their first five years).
Do categories run at city, country, regional and world level, or just one level?
All four. A nomination is evaluated at the scope that fits the business — a single-location studio at city or country level, a multi-country chain or brand at regional or world level — so it is always compared against genuinely comparable peers.
What does 'World Beauty Awards family' mean in practice?
World Salon Awards is this site's presentation of the salon-and-beauty side of the Golden Tree Awards network, which also runs World Beauty Awards more broadly and related programmes across other industries — the same operator, jury standards and free-to-nominate structure apply.