Hair Brand of the Year

Open to independent professional hair brands operating for a minimum of two years with an active presence within the salon industry. Brands must demonstrate consistent activity across professional education, distribution or salon partnerships, with evidence of growth and market presence during the eligibility period.

Winning this award places your brand among the most respected names in the professional hair industry, reinforcing credibility, influence and long-term market presence. It can help attract new distributors, strengthen confidence with investors and position your brand as one salons and professionals should be paying attention to. Winning also gives your distribution partners a respected award title and marketing asset they can promote confidently across their own regions and networks so they can use this as a lead generation tool to develop new business. Winners will also be invited to join the judging panel for The Indies - Salon & Stylist Awards UK.

• A written submission outlining brand performance, positioning and industry impact.

• Evidence of growth, distribution or market presence.

• Supporting materials including product launches, campaigns, education or brand activity relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and plans for continued growth, innovation or industry impact may also be included.

• All activity above must relate to a full trading period from 1 May 2025 - 30 April 2026.

How This Category Will Be Judged

Entries will first be reviewed based on the written submission, supporting evidence and overall impact within the professional hair industry. Judges will consider innovation, professional trust, education, product performance, salon relevance and the overall influence the brand has within the industry.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product testing and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals. Judges may assess overall brand experience, product performance, consistency, usability and how the range supports real salon work day to day.

To keep the process fair and independent, written entries and practical testing stages may be reviewed by different judges. Product testing requirements and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the range entered and the most suitable way to assess the products professionally.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected products from their range for professional testing and evaluation. Requested product quantities, testing requirements and judging formats will be confirmed directly with shortlisted entrants once judging allocations have been finalised.

This category may be tested during one of our in-salon judging days with active stylists from our judging panel. Products may be assessed through professional salon use, performance, consistency and overall salon experience within real working environments. Products submitted for judging will not be returned unless agreed otherwise in writing.

This category is not open to conglomerate-owned or publicly listed companies. Venture-backed brands are permitted, provided the brand operates independently within the professional market. Brands primarily focused on direct-to-consumer retail without active professional salon distribution will not be considered.

To protect the integrity of the awards, all judges are required to declare any professional, commercial or personal relationships with entrants prior to scoring. Any judge with a declared conflict of interest will not be permitted to review, discuss or score the relevant entry or category.

Entry Recommendations

Strong entries should clearly demonstrate how the brand has made a meaningful impact within the professional hair industry over the past 12 months. Judges are looking for brands that combine strong product innovation, business growth, education, community engagement and clear professional relevance while maintaining a distinct identity within the market.

Entries may include evidence of commercial success, product launches, salon support initiatives, education programmes, ambassador networks, marketing campaigns, retailer partnerships, sustainability efforts, industry collaborations and measurable growth across professional channels.

Supporting imagery, campaign assets, testimonials, sales performance, social engagement, press coverage, educational content and examples of professional industry support are strongly encouraged.

Entry Deadline

Final entry deadline for this category is 6 September 2026.

Shortlisted entrants may be contacted directly regarding additional judging stages, product submission requirements or further supporting information where applicable.