It was a long, hard fought battle to get hairdressers acknowledged for an Academy Award. Ted Gibson has been at the forefront of this battle and the results have been fruitful. The nominees, (in this new special category) announced yesterday, include Hitchcock,The Hobbit and Les Miserables.

"Look at the ballot," Ted told me this morning. "Look at the listing of the nominees. The category is MAKE UP AND HAIRSTYLING!  This is fantastic and long overdue, but I am still not satisfied. I will be satisfied when HAIRSTYLING gets its own ballot."

Ted and I started to chat about some of the other films nominated for Best Picture: "Just look at all those films. All the hair is spectacular and the hairdressers who created those looks deserve recognition not just for their research, but for the finishes. Look at Lincoln and Django Unchained. The hair plays an integral role in character development. I am so happy that the incredible talent behind the work will finally be acknowledged...at least in the three nominated."

Ted wanted to acknowledge the efforts of everyone who banned together to make a difference. "It wasn't just the professional communtiy, but consumers as well," he says. "This is a great first step."

To get to the next step, Ted plans to continue his lobbying for hairdressers at the Academy Awards. He asks that we all sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/we-need-an-oscar-for-hair/ or visit the We Need an Oscar for Hair Facebook page.