On Monday, 12th June, Australia's hairdressing industry gathered at The Star in Sydney for the annual Australian Hair Industry Award's (AHIA) Creative 2023 gala awards evening. This prestigious event showcased the talent and innovation within the country's hairdressing community. With 22 industry awards presented, Justin Pace from Brisbane's renowned salon, Co and Pace, emerged as the AHIA Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2023.
The AHIA awards, established in 2012 by the visionary minds behind the Mocha Group, now in their 12th year, serve as a trusted national platform recognising excellence across specialist, individual educational and business categories. This year marked the third edition of the Creative categories having their own awards program.
The event showcased the immense talent of Australia's top hairdressers and their salon teams as they received well-deserved recognition. In addition to the awards, a special induction into the AHIA Dennis Langford Hall of Fame took place, honouring New Zealand hairdressing icon Danny Pato for his significant contributions to the industry.
The evening was MC’d by resident Mocha Group host, Will Fennell, with an explosive and immersive performance piece inspired by Revlon Professional’s Bloom Collection of colours, shining a spotlight on heavenly hues, while merging digital, nature and a whole new rebellious spirit.
Coupled with Amazing Hair extensions, ‘Bloom & BOOM’ toasted the extraordinary colours of fascinating flora and fauna while highlighting the rocking, brand new energy that fresh and creative colour palettes provide. A custom contemporary, digitalised rock soundtrack with live musicians added an additional layer of vibrancy and impact to the runway.
Owner and Publisher Linda Woodhead expressed her delight for all the winners, stating, “The Creative AHIA’s continue to go from strength to strength, solidifying them as the premium hair industry awards platform highlighting the quality of the industry’s editorial and trend-focused skills. The photographic collections that were presented this year have demonstrated to each of the winner’s clients and communities just how incredibly talented they are. Yet again when in front of some of the biggest icons on the global stage, Australian hairdressers have proven just how competitive they truly are.”
The success of AHIA's Creative awards was made possible through collaborations with industry-leading names and brands such as Revlon Professional, O&M, Silver Bullet, Wahl Professional, Amazing Hair, and Parlux.
This year, the entries were evaluated by a distinguished panel comprising 37 International Hair Icons, 14 International Hair Media representatives, and 6 Australian Media and Industry Experts, including renowned figures such as Sally Brooks, Akin Konizi, Angelo Seminara, Sam McKnight, Hooker and Young, Errol Douglas, and Vivienne MacKinder. The judging panel also included representatives from trade and consumer media, such as Charlotte Grant West, Editor of HJI, Sergi Bancells, Editor of Esthetica, and Christina Butcher of Hair Romance.
The evening also featured the highly anticipated announcement of the HOTSHOTS team for 2023, highlighting the industry's most promising up-and-coming talent. This opportunity allows these talented individuals, aged 31 and under, to take their careers to new heights. The judging panel for the HOTSHOTS team included industry veterans like Dee Parker-Attwood, Jayne Wild, Benni Tognini, Stevie English, Sharon Blain, and Brad Ngata.
Below are all of the winners from the night.
2023 AHIA CREATIVE WINNERS
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Stella Wrigley, Jack Horton Hair
MASTER CUTTER OF THE YEAR
Shae Tsiknaris, Tsiknaris Hair
INDEPENDENT STYLIST OF THE YEAR
Domi Pinalli, Domi Pinalli Hair
AVANT GARDE HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Jude McEwen, Toni and Guy Perth Central
NEW CREATIVE TALENT OF THE YEAR
Anne Russell, Sloans of Lane Cove
CREATIVE TEAM OF THE YEAR
Sloans Creative Team
COLOUR EXPERT OF THE YEAR
Stevie Corthine, Stevie English Hair
MEN'S HAIR SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR
Naser, Naser Haircuts
PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION OF THE YEAR
Bill Tsiknaris, Tsiknaris Hair
BTS DREAM TEAM OF THE YEAR
For Nathan Yazbek
Photography: Andrew O'Toole. Make-up: Chereine Waddell. Styling: Catherine V.
NSW/ACT HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Nathan Yazbek, Salon Yazbek
VIC HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Bernadette Beswick, Beswick Education Services
WA/NT HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Naser, Naser Haircuts
QLD HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Fabian Fuentes, Jack Horton Hair
SA/TAS HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Luke Munn, Havachat Barbershop
INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Mark Leeson
HOT SHOTS TEAM
Anne Russell, Sloans of Lane Cove
Meghan King, Sloans of North Sydney
Mikelah Jayde Riley, Mikelah Jayde Studio
Paige Cameron, Cobelle Creative
NEW ZEALAND HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Danny Pato, D&M Hair Design
AUSTRALIAN HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Justin Pace, Co and Pace Salons
2023 AHIA DENNIS LANGFORD HALL OF FAME
Danny Pato, D&M Hair Design
