• privacy • conditions • FAQ's • contact us • discussion board •

Monday 12 June 11.00pm, Sydney…Brad Ngata from Brad Ngata Hair Direction in Surry Hills, Sydney, was tonight announced the 21 st Hair Expo Australian Hairdresser of the Year.

Selected from a list of ten finalists, an emotional Ngata, who also won the title in 2005, said as he accepted the award, “To win Australian Hairdresser of the Year once is life changing. To win twice is life affirming”.

Ngata’s salon is setting the standard for Australian hairdressing, winning a total of four of this year’s Hair Expo Australian Hair Awards – including Best Salon Team, New Creative Force and Best Photographic Collection.

Celebrating their 21 st birthday this year, the Hair Expo Australian Hairdressing Awards, judged by a panel of independent industry experts from Australia and overseas, are the most respected, established and longest running awards in the Australian hair industry. These ‘Oscars’ of the hair world are the industry standard and the pinnacle of hairdressing excellence.

The awards take into account all aspects of hairdressing and help to promote consumer awareness of the high standards of excellence in the Australian hairdressing industry.

Susa Wynne-Hoelscher, co-director of Hair Expo, commented, “This is a particularly exciting year for us – it’s wonderful to be celebrating 21 years of excellence in Australian hairdressing. Brad Ngata is a worthy winner. This award demands the highest level of artistry, leadership, business acumen and dedication to the profession of hairdressing – qualities that Brad has demonstrated for many years in our industry. ”

Recognising the calibre of entries this year, the judging panel selected 10 finalists in the major category – the Hair Expo Australian Hairdresser of the Year. These were -

• Robert Bava from Toni & Guy, Adelaide
• Sharon Blain from The Art of Hair, Sydney
• Shane Henning from Noddy’s on King, Sydney
• Tracey Hughes from Mieka Hairdressing, Melbourne
• Brad Ngata from Brad Ngata Hair Direction, Sydney
• Adam Noble from Next Hair, Canberra
• Jayne Wild from Wild Life Hairdressing in Sydney

Winners announced in other categories for the 21 st annual Hair Expo Australian Hairdressing Awards included New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year, Hairdressing Technician of the Year, New Creative Force, Apprentice/Trainee of the Year, Best New Salon Design, Excellence in Salon Marketing, Salon Team of the Year, Excellence in Hairdressing Education and Photographic Collection of the Year. Details of each finalist and their salon are listed below.

The awards gala was preceded by a brilliant curtain-raising presentation by ghd, and later featured a show-stopping catwalk presentation by International Creative Director for Vidal Sassoon, Mark Hayes, the man behind the resurgence of this iconic hair brand.