
Most Wanted 2025 Is Open For Entry – And We Have News!
Most Wanted 2025 Is Open For Entry – And We Have News!
Introducing a whole new line-up of categories aligned with today’s business and creative priorities
by JOANNA | CONNECT

Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted is 25 years old this year – time to refine and reimagine it for a new era.
Today we’re officially opening the competition with an exciting new line-up of 12 purpose-driven categories, designed to reflect how you work and think now. From Collaborations to Community, Education to Engagement, are awards are focused on what matters to you – and what makes our industry so utterly special and unique.
This year, Most Wanted is truly inclusive and democratic, open to all hair professionals from across the entire industry – and across Britain and Ireland. The owners and employees of salons and barbershops and other workspaces; freelance, session and self-employed hairdressers; educators and entrepreneurs… Most Wanted sees you all!
What has not changed is that Most Wanted is free to enter and based on work you’ve already done; there’s no need to shoot or create something new and exclusively for the competition, at your expense.
Once again, entries are digital, creating a level playing field for all.
And Most Wanted is still judged by people who matter – top industry names, of course, but also journalists from leading fashion and beauty media, talent scouts from international management agencies, fashion designers and educators, directors of photography and film, session stylists and brand innovators. This fresh perspective is one of the reasons we get such great results!
Ah yes, let’s talk about winning.
Most Wanted culminates in a spectacular gathering of amazing names and faces in London – it’s the industry at its very best, and the perfect backdrop for the winners to be announced. Trophies will be handed out, for sure, but winning Most Wanted is about so much more. It’s a night when the industry celebrates your skills, your journey, your passion – it celebrates you. And as you make your way back from the stage, you’ll be entering a whole new world full of opportunity, distinction and respect from your peers.
Ah yes, winning a Most Wanted award is just the beginning…
Most Wanted 2025 – ALL NEW Category Listing
The Most Wanted award for: COMMUNITY
For a hair professional or team going above and beyond their core business to provide meaningful support to their local community and/or a local organisation. Judges will look for an ongoing commitment to a single cause with clear evidence of positive impact.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals and businesses regularly providing hairdressing services to clients.
The Most Wanted award for: COLLABORATION
When creative talents come together, it can lead to an incredible result. Tell us about a specific project you worked on – a shoot, show, campaign or training course, perhaps – where you collaborated with creative(s) from outside your usual team to create something new and relevant, and which you could not have created on your own. Judges will look for a clear strategy for the project, an exciting, impactful execution and evidence of success.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals working in a creative capacity. Your collaborator can be based outside of the UK and Ireland.
The Most Wanted award for: PURPOSE
For an individual hairdressing professional or business truly committed to a specific cause, whether that’s sustainability, mental health, the under-represented in society – whatever is close to your heart. Finalists in this category will be able to demonstrate that purpose permeates everything they do and has a positive impact.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals and businesses regularly providing hairdressing services to clients.
The Most Wanted award for: ENGAGEMENT
Building an engaged online community around a business is crucial nowadays, and we’re looking for examples of excellence in the field. So, how do you build yours, which channels do you use and why, and how do you maintain audience attention? This is not about the size of your following, rather the impact you and your social fans create together.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals and businesses regularly providing hairdressing services to clients.
The Most Wanted award for: EDUCATION
Education is the lifeblood of hairdressing – constantly upgrading our knowledge and skills is the only way we can provide the best service to clients. So, this award goes to an individual or business delivering exceptional hairdressing education, with our judges looking for output that’s relevant, innovative and making a difference.
Open to all hairdressing professionals delivering education, as well as colleges, private academies and other education providers. Not open to educators working in-house for product companies.
The Most Wanted award for: CREATIVITY
Creativity comes in all different forms: asymmetric, vibrant, odd, spontaneous. This award is for a hair artist who’s excelling at their craft, whether that’s cutting, colouring or styling any hair type, and whose creative output results in something beautiful and transformational.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals working in a creative capacity.
The Most Wanted award for: EXPERIENCE
This award is for a hairdressing business taking customer service to the next level. We want to hear how you are focused on delivering the best possible experience for your clients at all relevant touch points – in real life and online – and the resulting benefits to business.
Open to businesses regularly providing hairdressing services to clients. Single locations only. It is not possible to enter as a group, although individual sites within a group may enter themselves.
The Most Wanted award for: NEW SPACE
We’re looking for a new or revamped hairdressing workspace that not only brings something interesting to the market, but that also delivers something exciting to its clients. Judges will be taking everything into consideration, from fit-out to service menu, and they’ll want to see evidence of success.
Open to businesses regularly providing hairdressing services to clients, opened or refurbished since March 2024.
The Most Wanted award for: LEADERSHIP
Do you run a hairdressing business, manage a department at work or lead a team (eg, backstage at Fashion Week) that consistently delivers great results? Use your entry to tell us about your drive and decision-making, the goals achieved and the direction you want to take next.
Open to individual hairdressing professionals in a leadership role.
The Most Wanted award for: IMAGE
For a hair professional who’s crafted a hair look capturing a contemporary vibe shift, or a trend that’s about to boom.
Open to all individual hairdressing professionals. Maximum of three entries per entrant.
The Most Wanted award for: SESSION
For the most exciting hair professional working in session.
This category cannot be entered; finalists will be determined by votes from leading fashion and beauty titles, alongside creative directors, producers, photographers, fashion stylists and make-up artists.
The Most Wanted award for: INFLUENCE
Awarded to the most influential, impactful hairdresser of the year.
By invitation only; following nominations from a panel of hair, beauty, fashion, business and media experts, a shortlist of names will be drawn up. Those shortlisted will be invited to submit an entry for assessment by a separate judging panel.

Entries close on 28 July, so find your category fit, go forth, and conquer Most Wanted 2025!