FIVE TIPS FOR MASTERING YOUR MOST WANTED AND IT LIST ENTRIES

Mar 20, 2024 | CONNECT, IT LIST, MOST WANTED

CATEGORIES > CONNECT

FIVE TIPS FOR MASTERING YOUR MOST WANTED AND IT LIST ENTRIES

Some handy hints to support your bid for success in this year’s Most Wanted and It List Awards.

Tommy Cunliffe, 2023 judge

We know you’ve got this, but we also know it takes a lot of time, energy and focus to compile an awards entry, so a bit of guidance to keep you on track can only help, right? The following five tips have been gathered from years of experience running the competitions, together with feedback from our judges, so we reckon they’re worth a look. Now, go forth – and go get those Most Wanted and It List trophies!

1. Get to grips with what’s needed first

Once you’ve chosen the category or categories you’re entering, really take time to understand what the criteria is asking for. Not only is it vital to hit all the asks to be eligible for the next phase, but our judges refer to the criteria while they’re evaluating each submission, deciding who has met the brief brilliantly. They can be a great guiding tool in setting out a clear framework for your submission.

2. Pack in personality

Think about what sets you apart from your peers. How can you give the judges a sense of who you really are? What is the unique story you want to tell? Inject tonnes of personality into your entry – including within the language you use, the imagery you include, and the stories you’re sharing. This will all help to ensure what you put forward is as authentic to you as possible.

3. Share learnings as well as successes

The Most Wanted and It List awards are about your journey, not just a small snapshot in time. It’s as important to include how you got to where you are now, as it is to talk about your present situation and future focuses. Don’t be afraid to include learnings alongside successes, judges love to hear how you overcame obstacles and used the experience to fuel your fire!

4. Show variety
Demonstrate the breadth of your brilliance! If you’re entering a creative category, have you shown a wealth of different work and skills at play, for example a variety of styles/techniques on a diverse range of people. If it’s a business category, have you shared a good balance of what you offer and achieve? Absolutely shout about your key strengths but consider the full scope of what you offer within your craft too.

5. Leave time for reflection

You may feel time is on your side right now, but don’t be fooled! You’ve got a lot of awesomeness to sift through and assemble, so make sure you build in enough time to review your entry, make any revisions, and get it uploaded in time for the deadline.

That’s it! Five handy hints to help you on your way, may it be fun and fruitful, good luck!

It’s free to enter the Most Wanted and the It List 2024. Entries must be submitted no later than 9pm on Monday 20 May. For category lists and entry instructions, click here for Most Wanted and here for the It List.

CATEGORIES > INFORM

IT’S BACK! THE ULTIMATE PLATFORM FOR FRESH YOUNG TALENTS

Calling all hair professionals aged 30 and under: the It List is on the hunt for six future faces of British and Irish hairdressing.

Miles Twist – It List 2023 The One to Watch winner

There’s nothing like Creative HEAD’s It List Awards for young hair pros to showcase their talent and build their profiles. Now in its 14ᵗʰ year, the competition returns in 2024 with a mission to find the best young business-builders, creative forces, hard grafters, and game-changers – the names setting the barbering, session and salon spheres on fire!

Exclusively sponsored by industry legends ghd, and open to the owners and employees of salons, barber shops and other workspaces, as well as self-employed and freelance hair professionals based in the UK and Ireland – all aged 30 or under – there are six It List categories to choose from, collectively representing skill, vision, dedication and bucketloads of ambition.

It List 2023 Grand Final

Entries will be judged by leading names from the worlds of hair, fashion, business, and media. Last year’s panels included digital creator Maddie Bruce; salon owner Errol Douglas MBE; talent agents from Art + Commerce and Streeters; and session stars Aaron Carlo and Leigh Keates. Finalists will be invited to attend the Most Wanted and It List Grand Final taking place in London on Monday 2 September. This hot-ticket event – hosted in the past by comedy giants like Russell Kane, Suzi Ruffell and Jack Whitehall – will bring together an all-star guest list to celebrate in style the stars of 2024.

Awaiting this year’s winners? A coveted It List trophy, a generous gift from ghd and an opportunity like no other to boost profile. Previous winners have gone on be signed by talent agents, work on Fashion Week teams in London, New York, Paris and Milan, present at industry events and even launch their own brands. It’s true: a place on the It List can be career-changing.

It’s free to enter the It List 2024. Entries must be submitted no later than 9pm on Monday 20 May.

For a full list of categories and entry instructions, click here.

CATEGORIES > INFORM

RESPECT, REWARD AND RECOGNITION – ALL WRAPPED UP IN 16 MOST WANTED TROPHIES

Most Wanted 2024 has launched and the search is on to uncover Britain and Ireland’s most inspiring hairdressing talents.

Nashwhite – Most Wanted 2023 Business Thinker winner

Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted Awards recognise the most outstanding, progressive and game-changing talents in British and Irish hairdressing. With 16 sought-after trophies available to the owners and employees of salons, barber shops and other workspaces, as well as self-employed and freelance hair professionals, the competition celebrates a multitude of disciplines, from creative skill to commercial acumen, education, the client experience and a commitment to sustainability. Most Wanted also shines a spotlight on the hairdressing business owners breathing life into the high street, the session artists setting global trends, and the individuals whose skills and smiles transform thousands of lives every single day.

Now in its 24ᵗʰ year, Most Wanted is widely acknowledged as the industry’s most inclusive and respected competition – in 2023 it enjoyed a record-breaking number of entries. This year, all 16 categories will once again be judged by dozens of names working across hair, fashion, business, and the media – influential names like ELLE UK’s George Driver; broadcaster, journalist and entrepreneur Ateh Jewel; leading salon owner Andrew Collinge; and iconic session stylist Sam McKnight MBE. The awards will culminate in a breathtaking Grand Final, held at an awe-inspiring London venue (Tate Modern, Printworks and the National History Museum have all welcomed our star-studded guests in the past).

Most Wanted 2023 Grand Final

Naomi Brooks at Most Wanted Grand Final 2023

Naomi Brooks – Most Wanted 2023 Award for Innovation winner

Says Creative HEAD editorial director, Amanda Nottage: “Hairdressing is a brilliantly diverse industry with a breadth of talent, innovation and originality that leaves you breathless – and that’s what Most Wanted is here to salute and celebrate. We look forward to honouring our entrants’ contributions in style.”

Win a Most Wanted trophy, and the recognition can be life-changing. Previous winners have gone on to represent global brands, lead Fashion Week teams across the world, launch their own workspaces and product ranges, get slots on prime-time TV and collaborate with the world’s most famous designers and publications.

Most Wanted 2024 is free to enter, and entries must be submitted no later than 9pm on Monday 20 May.

For a full list of categories and entry instructions, click here.

CATEGORIES > INFORM

L’ORÉAL COLOUR TROPHY OPEN FOR 2024

From Future Talent to Moving Image, the iconic competition is now open for entries in both the UK and Ireland.

2023 Irish winners

2023 UK winners

The legendary L’Oréal Colour Trophy has opened entries for its 2024 competition, welcoming all hair pros in the UK and Ireland to take part.

With six categories in the UK and four in Ireland, the competition shares a platform with professional colourists to showcase their artistry, shining a spotlight on creative colour with a firm eye on future trends and commercial looks.

Now in its 68th year, the L’Oréal Colour Trophy’s mission is to uncover talent from all corners of the UK and Ireland. Entrants across all categories are invited to create a colour look on any model, of any gender or any gender identity of any hair type. The deadline for entries is 19 April.

Alongside the original Colour Trophy category in both the UK and Ireland, there is the STAR Award, and also the Future Talent Award, for younger colourists to make their mark.

Unveiled last year, the Moving Image Award returns to both the UK and Ireland to celebrate colourists excelling on social media. Entrants are asked to create a reel on Instagram or TikTok between 30-60 seconds of a finished hair look that illustrates real skill and delivers impact.

In addition, UK entrants can also compete in the Afro Award, specialising in a hair type texture between 3C and 4C, in addition to the Colour Specialist Award, aimed at those stylists who have completed the Colour Specialist education programme with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

In 2023, Sheffield’s Scullion and Scot won the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final in the UK, while Zeba Hairdressing scooped the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Ireland title.

For more details on all the categories, visit lorealcolourtrophy.com or lorealcolourtrophy.ie.