Hairstylist & Colourist Awards

Building a portfolio that actually persuades a jury

Hairstylist of the Year and Best Colourist of the Year are among the most visually-driven categories in the professional group, which means portfolio curation matters as much as the underlying skill it's meant to demonstrate. A common mistake is submitting a large volume of images that all show a similar style or technique — it demonstrates consistency but not range, and a jury evaluating technical skill and creativity generally responds better to a smaller set that deliberately shows breadth: different hair types and textures, different techniques (balayage versus foil colour work, for instance, for a colourist), and ideally both editorial or competition work alongside everyday client results, since the two demonstrate different things. Client testimonials add a dimension photography alone can't — specifically, evidence of reliability and consistency across repeat visits, which a one-off striking photo doesn't capture.

For Rising Talent in Hair specifically, the jury is explicitly looking for trajectory rather than a finished, polished career — describing what's changed or improved in the nominee's work over their (under five year) career so far, and any early recognition or competition results, matters more than trying to present work as though it belongs to a much more established professional.

Hairstylist vs. colourist: picking a lane when a nominee does both

Many working stylists cut and colour at a genuinely high level, which makes the choice between Hairstylist of the Year and Best Colourist of the Year less obvious than it might first appear. The most reliable way to decide is to look honestly at where the strongest, most differentiated evidence actually sits — not which title sounds more prestigious. A stylist whose portfolio and client reputation centre on cut shape, styling and finishing work has a stronger Hairstylist of the Year case even if they also colour competently; a stylist whose reputation and most striking portfolio work is built around colour technique — balayage, colour correction, creative colour — has a stronger Best Colourist of the Year case even if cutting is also part of their skill set. When genuinely torn, the research team can advise during the internal review stage, but leading with the category your best evidence actually supports gives the strongest starting nomination.