Men's Grooming Brand of the Year

Open to independent professional grooming brands actively used within salon or barbershop environments. Products entered must demonstrate professional relevance, performance and suitability for modern men’s grooming services during the eligibility period.

Winning this award positions your brand among the grooming products professionals trust within the modern salon and barbering industry, reinforcing credibility, performance and professional value. It provides a powerful platform to strengthen visibility, support growth and highlight the role your products play in helping professionals deliver modern grooming services clients return for. Winners will also be invited to join the judging panel for The Indies - Salon & Stylist Awards UK.

• A written submission outlining the brand’s positioning, professional relevance and approach to men’s grooming

• Evidence of professional usage, salon or barbershop adoption, stylist engagement or client demand

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

• All activity must relate to the period 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 professional relevance within the men’s grooming industry. Judges will consider product performance, innovation, branding, professional trust and the way the range supports modern barbering and grooming services within the salon environment.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product testing and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals. Judges may assess performance, ease of use, finish, consistency and the overall experience of using the products within real grooming and styling services.

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 and grooming professionals from our judging panel. Products may be assessed through professional salon use, styling performance and overall client experience within real working salon 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 without active professional salon engagement or public industry presence 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 range supports clients in maintaining salon results between appointments. Judges are looking for homecare products professionals genuinely recommend because of their performance, reliability, hair health benefits and long-term client satisfaction.

Supporting imagery, salon usage examples, before and after results, educational content, testimonials and evidence 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.