Huge success for Malta’s Hairdressing & Barber of the Year awards

Over 200 of Malta’s best hairdressing stylists and barbers gathered last Saturday at the Carissa Lounge & Gardens Intercontinental Hotel in St Julian’s to attend the second edition of the Malta Hairdressing & Barber awards.

Our business is never one thing; part creativity, part technical prowess, part psychology and part business acumen – it’s little wonder that only our contemporaries can fully understand what it takes to succeed. The Malta Hairdressing & Barber awards does exactly that, inviting the best and brightest talents in hairdressing to take a bow in front of the one audience that really counts – other hairdressers. Local recognition, inspiration, celebration, glamour and glasses of bubbly – what better way to crown success?

For these reasons, the elite contestants hailing from the top tier of Maltese hairdressing and barber salons weathered the current COVID-19 restrictions and were rewarded for their bold and determined attitude in a glittering and very exclusive gala award ceremony, combining Malta’s most talented hairdressers and barbers. Nominees convened in an entertaining gala award ceremony, in open natural ambience sparkling with colourful lights and trees. The atmosphere was tense; however, the environment was rendered safe and healthy with all the relevant COVID-19 precautions being in evidence, with organisers leaving no stone unturned to make the event as virus-free as possible.

This year the award ceremony brought together the best of the hairdressing and barber industry and a larger audience and nominee participation than last year: a new kind of award created and strongly supported by the undaunting organiser Martin Vella to celebrate the skills, training and artistry of hairdressing and barbering in Malta.

Margaret Brincat, director of the MBHBA, said: “Malta’s Best Hairdressing & Barber Awards 2020® have successfully celebrated excellence in our industry. I am so thrilled for each nominee as well as all of the finalists honoured along the way, especially the new salons that have burst on to the scenes during the last year.”

Martin Vella, founder, director and organiser of MHBA, stated: “Malta’s Best Hairdressing & Barber Awards 2020® is by far the broadest business awards programme in Malta and honours companies, teams, individuals and products for their business successes in the previous and current year. I want to add that these awards, which is a trade mark registered event, is to date the only Maltese business awards programme judged exclusively by a panel of judges under established and accredited criteria, and the judging process is transparent, with results being made public. Furthermore, I am very proud of the fact that we have taken all the necessary precautions to render such an event safe, despite the risks involved and for me that is a huge satisfaction.”

Indeed, the awards are judged separately by experts and qualified professionals, who evaluated nominee individual strengths according to several judging criteria. Each judge receives a detailed company profile, statistics, history, including confidential data and meets the finalists. Although the qualities of entrepreneurship are widely recognised and celebrated, nowhere else will you witness such a thorough, precise and transparent process in Malta.

The award-ceremony provided an exciting show and was hosted by compere and radio broadcaster Colin Fitz. Guests enjoyed the catwalk with some of the most important names in the industry participating, the fabulous red carpet and a Hollywood-style awards ceremony. Celebrated music duo, Gianni & Papps, entertained the audience taking care of the musical presentations for the night, which also saw illusionist and magician par excellence Brian Role’ entertaining guests with unbelievable breathtaking tricks. JUGS Malta provided the lighting and sound, stage and catwalk. Intercontinental Hotel Catering were entrusted with the F&B service on the night and served impeccable food. The ceremony had worldwide livestreaming broadcast with over 3,800 registered viewers on the night.