The Winners

Master Stylist of the Year
Brian and Sandra Smith
Matrix C.R.A.F.T. Global Academy, Dalton, Georgia

Hairstylist of the Year
Richard St. Laurent
Salon Inpure, Montreal, Quebec

Salon Team of the Year
Salon Inpure
Montreal, Quebec

Editorial Stylist of the Year
Daniel Holzberger
Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, Georgia

Student Hairstylist of the Year
Kelli Parks
Eric Fisher Salon, Wichita, Kansas

Make-Up Artist of the Year
Janell Geason
Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Avant Garde
Darian Bishop
Tony & Guy, Dallas, Texas

Contemporary Classic
Edwin Fontanez
CIELO by Edwin Fontanez, Lakewood, Ohio

Fashion Forward
Faatemah Ampey
Bella Salon and Spa, St. Paul, Minnesota

Haircolor
Adriana Balea
Francesca’s Salon and Spa, Toronto, Ontario

Salon Design
Tribe Hair Studio
Portland, Oregon

Texture
Shawna Parvin
World’s Local Parvin, Austin, Texas

WHAT: The 20th Anniversary of the North American Hairstyling Awards on July 20, 2009. WHERE: The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

WHO: Finalists from all over North America came to see who would win the big awards. Vivienne Mackinder was this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and Geno Stampora was inducted into the Hall of Leaders (see sidebar for their exclusive MODERN interviews).

To enter NAHA 2010, applications are available for download at probeauty.org/naha. Entries must be postmarked by February 8, 2010.

PAST MEETS PRESENT:
Rather than the traditional celebrity host, this year NAHA hosts were past winners, including NAHA 19 winners Nicholas French and Maureen Anlauf and Wella’s Sonya and Christopher Dove. These former winners took the audience through two decades of creativity and artistry with personal memories, videos and artistic presentations. The Flying Ace All-Stars performed breath-taking acrobatics on trampolines flanking the  stage. The evening featured a taste of Hollywood when Nancy O’Dell, co-anchor of Access Hollywood, was presented the inaugural PBA Beautiful Humanitarian Award for her continued support to raise both awareness and funds for charities such as March of Dimes, Child Help, Best Buddies and American Red Cross.

FOUNDERS HONORED: Among the evening’s honorees were NAHA founders, MODERN SALON and Redken. MODERN’s Publisher Steve Reiss and Associate Publisher Michele Musgrove took the stage to express their gratitude in being a part of what has now become the industry’s “Academy Awards of Hair.” “On behalf of our team today and our team 20 years ago, thank you for this  honor,” said Associate Publisher Michele Musgrove, who joined MODERN SALON’s editorial team in 1989. “Our heritage has always been to help stylists achieve their professional best. And looking around this room tonight, there’s no doubt that NAHA is THE best, said Musgrove. “To Redken, thank you for working with us to bring the idea of NAHA to life. To all finalists, honorees and sponsors past and present, it has been MODERN’s pleasure and privilege to celebrate and support you from the beginning.” MODERN’s Editor-in-Chief Laurel Smoke took presented the Fashion Forward award to Faatemah Ampey, who proceeded to “thank God for Johnny Depp,” in one of the most hilarious speeches of the evening.

LIVE FROM NAHA: MODERN Online Editor Melissa Hill Tweeted and Facebooked live from NAHA.  She sent updates the moment the winners took the stage and included sound bites of their speeches and her own commentary. Sign up for our Twitter updates at modernsalon.com/twitter or become a fan on Facebook so you can be a part of our on-the-scene coverage.

Related Links:
Vivienne and Geno: NAHA 20 Superstars 


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