A Tony Ricci entry.
Tony Ricci named North American Hairstylist of the Year.

The "countdown to NAHA" is complete! Tony Ricci of Ricci Hair Co. is the 2010 North American Hairstylist of the Year. Ricci and this year's other winners represent the newest class of the prestigious North American Hairstyling Awards. Click on the link below to see the work of the winners in each category.  And, watch for a special NAHA 2010 Winners Portfolio in the August issue of MODERN SALON. Congratulations to all 2010 NAHA winners, finalists and entrants!

• Avant Garde: Nicholas French

• Contemporary Classic: Alain Pereque

• Editorial Stylist: Steve Elias

• Fashion Forward: Antoine Vadacchino

• Haircolor: Chrystofer Benson

• Master Hairstylist: Wendy and Oscar Bond

• Student Hairstylist: Patrick Mathes

• Salon Team: Salon Pure

• Texture: Dimitrios Tsioumas

• Make-up Artist: Seong Hee Park

• Salon MBA: Lunatic Fringe

• Salon Design: Vasken Demirjian Salon

PRESENTING THE 2010 NAHA WINNERS

"To be inspired and to inspire others is what NAHA is all about," said NAHA Haircolor winner Chrystopher Benson. His sentiment was echoed by NAHA finalists, winners and presenters throughout the evening at the 21st annual North American Hairstyling Awards. The gala event was held July 18th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas as part of PBA Beauty Week.

The photo-based NAHA competition presents awards to beauty professionals in 13 categories ranging from Avant Garde to Texture to the top honor, North American Hairstylist of the Year, presented this year to Tony Ricci of Ricci Hair Co. in Edmonton, Alberta.  A new category, Salon Masters of Business (MBA), debuted for 2010, and was earned by Lunatic Fringe of Salt Lake City, owned by Shawn Trujillo and Angie Katsanevas.  "Winning NAHA means we are doing something right," joked the partners.

Special NAHA awards were presented to hair color icon Beth Minardi for Lifetime Achievement, and to distribution and education innovator Frederic Holzberger, who was inducted into the Hall of Leaders. "The achievement I am most proud of happens when colorists write, email or Facebook me and say, `I tried that formula you taught in class and I can't believe how well it turned out,'" Minardi told MODERN SALON Editor-in-chief Laurel Nelson.

PBA also presented a special "Beautiful Humanitarian of the Year" award before the official NAHA ceremony to celebrity Holly Robinson Peete for her philanthropic work related to autism resources.  

NAHA is produced by the Professional Beauty Association and held in tandem with the industry's main event of the year, PBA Beauty Week, which is also home to the Cosmoprof North America global trade show, Symposium business event for salon owners and managers, Beacon education for cosmetology students, and the presentation of the City of Hope "Spirit of Life" award, which honored Eva Graham, founder of Nioxin.  NAHA is the showcase event, however, and attracts a crowd of 2,000+ beauty professionals to their own red-carpet celebration of the art and craft of hairdressing.

MODERN SALON Media is a founding sponsor of NAHA, and the August issue will feature a commemorative NAHA 2010 Winners Portfolio" pullout-supplement in the August issue.  Also, during the NAHA 2010 ceremony, MODERN SALON Editor-in-chief Laurel Nelson and First Chair Editor Alison Shipley presented the Texture award to Dmitrious Tsiomas of Mizu New York Salon. This year the Texture award includes a  "bonus" texture-themed editorial photo shoot with MODERN. "NAHA is just another expression of me," Tsioumas said in an interview before the awards were announced. "What I do in the salon is just as creative and challenging."

Beauty Director Maggie Mulhern, who has covered and worked with Beth Minardi throughout her career, introduced her longtime friend as the NAHA Lifetime Achievement recipient. "Once you think you have reached a creative plateau, find a new one," Minardi recommends.

That's inspiring advice that all the new NAHA winners can take to heart.

WINNERS

NAHA 2010 Hairstylist of the Year Winner
Tony Ricci

Ricci Hair Co.
Edmonton, Alberta
Photography: Ara Sassoonian

NAHA 2010 Avant Garde Winner
Nicholas French

Westhampton, New York
Photography: Roberto Ligresti

NAHA 2010 Contemporary Classic Winner
Alain Pereque

Salon Pure
Montreal, Quebec
Photography: Ara Sassoonian

NAHA 2010 Editorial Hairstylist of the Year Winner
Steve Elias

Elixir Salon Spa
Berkeley, California

NAHA 2010 Fashion Forward Winner
Antoine Vadacchino

Salon Pure
Montreal, Quebec
Photography: Ara Sassoonian

NAHA 2010 Haircolor Winner
Chrystofer Benson

Salon Tantrum
New York, New York
Photography: Joseph Cartright

NAHA 2010 Make-up Artist of the Year Winner
Seong Hee Park

New York, New York
Stylist: Ammon Carver, nominated for Editorial Stylist of the Year
Photography: Hyuna Shin

NAHA 2010 Master Hairstylist of the Year Winner
Wendy and Oscar Bond

Bond Academy
Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Photography: Trevor Owsley

NAHA 2010 Student Hairstylist of the Year Winner
Patrick Mathes

Aveda Fredric's Institute
Indianapolis, Indiana
Photography: Babak

NAHA 2010 Salon Team of the Year Winner
Salon Pure

Montreal, Quebec
Photography: Ara Sassoonian

NAHA 2010 Texture Winner
Dimitrios Tsioumas

Mizu New York
New York, New York
Photography: Babak

NAHA 2010 Salon Design of the Year Winner
Vasken Demirjian Salon

White Plains, New York
Photography: Stan Wan

NAHA 2010 Salon Master of Business Award Winner
Shawn Trijillo and Angie Katsanevas

Lunatic Fringe
Salt Lake City, Utah
Photography: Douglas Carter

For all NAHA-related content, go to modernsalon.com/naha.