Celebrity hairstylist Monaè Everett has announced a new awards competition to celebrate the beauty of all hair textures and honor the artists who have mastered styling them.

Presented by the Wella Company, the Texture Style Awards is designed to help increase diversity and inclusion within the beauty industry by placing equal emphasis on all four hair texture categories: straight, wavy, curly and coily/kinky.

“Major beauty companies primarily showcase straight hair in their marketing and social media efforts, with less than one percent representation of other textures,” said Everett, who founded the awards. “Research shows that 70% of the world has hair that is considered textured. My goal with the Texture Style Awards competition is to create space for all textures to be celebrated. I also want to encourage stylists to step outside of their comfort zones and showcase their creativity in order to step into careers that go beyond working in salons.”

“The Wella Company family of professional hair brands—Clairol Professional, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, Wella Professionals, and Wella colorcharm—is proud to serve as the title sponsor of the Texture Style Awards and partner with Monaè Everett to celebrate the diversity of all hair textures and offer stylists a platform to showcase their artistry,” said Pamela Rhett, NA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead for Wella Company. “We are committed to elevating and representing all hair textures and supporting stylists’ journeys to mastering their craft. Diversity and inclusion are part of our core values and we strive to address and normalize them within the professional beauty industry.”

Texture Style Awards submissions will be reviewed by an esteemed panel of expert judges from across the beauty industry, including representatives from The Wella Company, Fromm Pro, as well as celebrity and editorial hairstylists.

The judges will review submissions based on such criteria as technical skill, shape, and texture definition. The top 10 submissions in each category will then be put into a second round of voting by both judges and the public.

Winners will receive a custom trophy, one-on-one mentorship with a Wella Company ambassador, up to $1000 worth of prizes from sponsors, and marketing and media exposure through partner channels.

In addition, Everett will host virtual styling workshops via The Monaè Life Academy to help increase hairstylists’ proficiency and confidence in styling all four hair textures.

Sponsored by hair tools brand Fromm Pro, the free “Four Hair Textures” workshops will feature look-and-learn tutorials, including techniques specific to each texture as well as tips for styling for the camera. “Fromm Pro fully recognizes the need for more diversity in the beauty industry,” said Carine Roudil, Fromm VP Of Marketing. “With education and inspiration being two of our core beliefs, we are excited to partner with The Texture Style Awards to bring more knowledge about textured hair to the stylist community.”

Texture Style Awards submissions open on February 15 and will be accepted through March 27, 2021. The contest entry fee is $10 per submission. Final winners will be announced during a virtual event in late April.