Over 650 guests, 22 winners, one Legend and countless glasses raised to toast all our wonderful finalists and winners. See what went down at The Beams London…
It’s Creative HEAD’s biggest night of the year, and the 24th Most Wanted and It List Grand Final, held last night at cultural hot-spot Beams in East London, did not disappoint. All our favourite people in the same room together for one glorious party? Hell, yeah! There was champagne. There was dancing. And as expected, every guest looked the part, with each fit as big as the next.
Of course, the reason for this annual get-together is to celebrate the very best talents in our industry. Last night we unveiled the 2024 It List in association with ghd – six sensational trailblazers aged 30 and under. And then came the 16 artists, activists, innovators and business leaders who each took home a Most Wanted trophy. And a standing ovation for Lisa Farrall, who was awarded Most Wanted Legend status for her work with textured hair.
These hairdressers are breaking glass ceilings, setting new standards (including sometimes in ways we don’t expect) and overhauling our industry bit by bit to steer it towards a newer, more exciting future. Things are changing in British and Irish hairdressing. Take a look at our winners to find out why.
Gee-Kent Ho is celebrating a L’Oréal Colour Trophy win, scooping both the North Eastern region and overall prize at the 2024 grand final at London’s Old Billingsgate.
It was a big night also for Brooks & Brooks, with the salon’s Marlon Hawkins winning the London region and second place. Trevor Sorbie celebrated huge success too, as its Covent Garden salon winning third place, and its Brighton salon winning the Southern region. Its artistic director, Giuseppe Stelitano, also presented one of the event’s two hair shows, introduced by Trevor Sorbie MBE himself, who described the young talent as “a visionary”.
L’Oréal Colour Trophy – first place: Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle upon Tyne
L’Oréal Colour Trophy – second place: Brooks & Brooks, London
L’Oréal Colour Trophy – third place: Trevor Sorbie, Covent Garden
It was also a major night for L’Oréal Colour Trophy itself, celebrating its 68th contest by switching it up a notch with a tech and innovation powered final at a new venue in London’s Old Billingsgate. Around 1,000 attendees enjoyed installations from fashion designer Jack Irving – as seen at On|Off – with hair by Jack Merrick-Thirlway and the Neville’s team during the pre-show reception.
Fashion design by Jack Irvin
The show itself – hosted by Clara Amfo, with help from DJ Lisa Snowdon, Vogue’s Twiggy Jalloh and make-up influencer Hannah Martin – played out on a circular stage with a jaw-dropping video wall. This proved an impressive backdrop particularly during the art team shows, immersing the audience further in the hair artistry presented on stage.
Host Clara Amfo, with Lisa Snowdon, Twiggy Jalloh and Hannah Martin
The first show – MetaBall from Giuseppe Stelitano and the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team – was a breath-taking affair, fitting for a salon brand that’s celebrating its 45th birthday. An amplified display of texture and wig artistry – cherry cola lengths, high pompadours and neon yellow shags – the presentation kicked up into high gear when dancers decked in feathered headpieces, neon green mullets and more took to the stage in a celebration of New York’s ballroom scene, soundtracked of course to a remix of Madonna’s Vogue.
MetaBall from Giuseppe Stelitano and the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team
Robert Eaton and the Russell Eaton Art Team later shared Luminaire, with all models dressed in white bodysuits as the perfect canvas to spotlight the sumptuous hair creations, and for light displays to play across their faces and bodies. This was a fusion of thigh skimming textured lengths kissed with indigo, two-toned precision bobs in lavender and aubergine, and fuchsia and candy pink. With a voluminous cube of textured sunshine yellow and blonde juxtaposed with bleached-out close crops, it was a masterful display of creativity.
And once all the winners had been revealed? It was on to a barn-storming set delivered by TikTok DJ twins ALTÉGO, a properly fitting high-energy climax to the night.
Luminaire from Robert Eaton and the Russell Eaton Art Team
L’Oréal Colour Trophy – first place: Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle upon Tyne
Second place: Brooks & Brooks, London
Third place: Trevor Sorbie, Covent Garden
North Eastern: Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle upon Tyne
North Western: Saks Hair, Newark
Scotland: Jason Hall Hairdressing, Edinburgh
Western: Zoe Hodgkiss – Hair Artistry, Holsworthy
Eastern: Strictly Xtended, Bishops Stortford
Northern Ireland: Peter Mark, Lisburn
Southern: Trevor Sorbie, Brighton
London: Brooks & Brooks, London
STAR Award: Peter Mark, Belfast
Colour Specialist Award: Amelia Hall, Frances Marshall, Sunderland
Afro Award: Headmasters, Soho
Moving Image Award: Lauren McNeela, Stripe Colour Studio
Future Talent Award: Alex Doherty, Brandon Marchant, Elsie MacDonald, Francesca Bay, Isla McKelvie
Winners revealed for all categories of Redken’s Shades EQ competition
Hairdressers descend on Parliament Square to boost attention to VAT cause
Which category will you enter?
Which salon is knocking it out of the park when it comes to extensions? The answer would seem to be Rosser Hairdressing, which won three awards at this year’s Great Lengths GLammies.
Roseer Hairdressing nabbed the UK Hair Extension Salon trophy, while Beverley Rosser grabbed the Body & Bounce award, with the salon’s Lydia Henderson winning Best Newcomer.
Also celebrated for its extension excellence was Melanie Richards Hair and Beauty, which won the Great Lengths Trophy, given to an extensionist who has “demonstrated outstanding work”. Katie Hemming enjoyed a successful night too, winning two awards for Captivating Colour and Longer Length.
All the category winners have also scooped a trip to Rome, which includes a tour of the Great Lengths production factory there.
Longer Length – Katie Hemming, Love Hair
Avant Garde – Jack Trafene-Little, The Little Salon
Bridal Creation – Kirby Blythe, Hair by Kirby Blythe
Captivating Colour – Katie Hemming, Love Hair
Body & Bounce – Beverley Rosser, Rosser Hairdressing
Best Newcomer – Lydia Henderson, Rosser Hairdressing
Customer Service Award – Green & Co
Sustainable Salon of the Year – Butchers Hair Salon
Most Charitable Salon of the Year – Jade Searcy
UK Hair Extension Salon – Rosser Hairdressing
Great Lengths Trophy – Extension Excellence – Melanie Richards Hair and Beauty
Winners revealed for all categories of Redken’s Shades EQ competition
Hairdressers descend on Parliament Square to boost attention to VAT cause
Which category will you enter?
Syd Hayes
Sam Burnett
Jody Taylor
Paula McCash
Arif Arikan
Georgia Freeman
Exaucè Imbo
Annabel Payne
“I like having clean cuts. Very precise, very detailed, very unique”
– Exaucè Imbo
“I love the idea of doing sessions styling, I think it gives you a chance to take something back to your clients in the salon”
– Annabel Payne
“I wanted to do hairdressing from a really young age, it was always a passion, I was always running around with a comb and a brush”
– Arif Arikan
“Normally I like creating a very natural textured look, but that’s what I’ve loved about today, it’s really pushed me out of my comfort zone”
– Georgia Freeman
CREDITS: A Creative HEAD shoot in partnership with BaByliss PRO
Hair: Sam Burnett, Paula McCash, Jody Taylor, Arif Arikan, Georgia Freeman, Exaucè Imbo, Annabel Payne (with Ellie’s cut and colour by Ernie Mažonatie at Hare & Bone). Led by Syd Hayes
Make-up: Elin Jones, Manabu Nobuoka
Models: Alex (@alex.rennick), Ali (@nazgotroach), Ash (@ashdouglasbmx), Ellie (@elliefelicityclarkson), Elly (@pirate.quinn), Karan (@karan_official1), Kurtis (@kurtis0connor), Robyn (@ robn_roll), Rocco(@roccobrivati) and Rose (@jensenroro), at Autumn Jensen Casting
Portraits and action photography: Jared Beck
Photography assistants: Pierre Lequeux, Morgan Shaw
Behind the scenes and Polaroid photography: Harvey Williams-Fairley
Digital technician: Brian Clever
Production: The Creative Partnerships division at Creative HEAD
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