More Than an Award: What Our Own Nomination Taught Us

We're so excited to share some incredible news with our HBA family - The UK Hair and Beauty Awards has been shortlisted for 'Best Development of an Existing Awards' at the prestigious Conference & Awards Awards! We are so honoured to be shortlisted for this category as it reflects not only how far we've come in evolving and improving our awards, but most importantly, it represents our continued commitment to YOU, our community, at the heart of everything we do.

This morning at HBA HQ as we soaked in the news and got excited about our award nomination, something profound struck us. That familiar flutter of butterflies and excitement we felt looking at our own nomination is the exact feeling you experience when you receive your Finalist Status for the HBA Awards.

For years, we've been the ones sending out those 'Congratulations, you're a finalist!' messages. Now, as we find ourselves on the other side of that experience, it's incredibly surreal. That flutter of vulnerability, the moment of  'are we good enough?' - it's raw, it's real, and it's exactly what makes awards so meaningful.

To every salon owner, every stylist, and every beauty therapist who has ever taken that leap of faith with us: we get it now. We truly understand that moment when you pause before submitting your entry, that mix of pride and nervousness as you put yourself out there to be judged for the world to see. Being shortlisted alongside such well-established and highly respected awards programs across a number of industries has been both eye-opening and exhilarating. We're the underdogs here, competing against giants, but that's exactly what makes awards so magical.

This vulnerability we're feeling? It's proof that we care, that we’re passionate, and that we believe in the magic of what we do. Whether we win or not isn't what matters - it's about believing in the process and understanding its transformative power. Because belief in yourself isn’t just a feel-good phrase, it's the foundation of every success story. 

Today, we're not just your awards body; we're walking the same path as you, hearts pounding, hopes high, understanding more than ever why our six-step journey from entry to red carpet matters so much. Win or lose, we're proud to be nominated. It validates what we’ve always believed: the awards process works. It uplifts businesses like yours and now, it’s uplifting ours too!