Australia’s own hair legend Sharon Blain was honoured amongst of a myriad of global hairdressing icons at the sixth annual International Hairdressing Awards gala in Lisbon, Portugal. Honouring her with the title of International Hair Legend, Sharon and the 2024 winners were highlighted alongside a runway show created by inspirational international teams.

The event congregated 1000 hair professionals from over 30 countries on April 29, while also broadcasting the event live online. The event marked the first iteration in Lisbon after five stints in Spain. The winners were announced initially in a global world tour, where Mikel Luzea, director and founder, and Sergi Bancells, global ambassador for the awards, travelled the world and visited them personally, before this group celebration.

The gala saw VIP guests enjoy a purple carpet entrance and collections presented on stage by Mark Leeson Art Team and TONI&GUY Artistic Team, both from the UK, as well as Emmanuel Esteban from France, Fabio Ziccardi from Italy and Jorge X and Janos Deri from Spain and Germany.

Sharon was awarded in a newly added honorary category, celebrating her five decade plus legacy in hairdressing and education. Ken Paves was also awarded the honorary title of International Hair Influencer of the Year, noting his work on shows such as Oprah Winfrey, with a celebrity clientele that includes David and Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria.

In the regular categories, UK hairdresser Sam Elliot won Best International Men’s Commercial Collection category, Spanish hairdressers Carlos Valiente and Bernat Sayol won Best International Women’s Commercial Collection and British hairdresser Efie Davies won Best International Avant-Garde Collection. In a big night for TONI&GUY, the TONI&Guy Artistic Team won International Artistic Team of the Year, while the salon brand’s Global Creative Director made history, winning the hattrick of the pinnacle International Hairdresser of the Year for the third year in a row. The International Film & TV Hairdresser of the Year award was presented for the second year, as won by Ivana Primorac, Marie Larkin and Claire Corsick for their work on Barbie.

Almost 500 collections were entered from 32 countries in the 2024 iteration of the competition in the categories of Best International Women’s Collection, Best International Men’s Collection and Best International Avant-Garde Collection, while the International Hairdresser of the Year and International Artistic Team of the Year are comprised of an invite-only short list. These leading hairdressers submit photographic work and a dossier outlining their latest year in professional hair. This year the jury was made up of Anthony Mascolo, Robert Lobetta, Tony Rizzo, Luis Romero and the Portuguese hairdresser Anabela Pereira. Revlon Professional, Estetica Magazine, The Hair MBA, Artero and Salón Look Madrid are valued partners and sponsors of the platform.

For more information visit www.ihawards.com

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