A Co Antrim woman has been crowed Northern Ireland's Hairdresser of the Year 2020 at the prestigious British Hairdressing Awards.
Salon Manager and Art Director, Julie Cherry, from the Shane Bennett Salon in Lisburn fought off strong competition and stood out from a star-studded line up of the city’s best-known stylists to gain the top spot in the fiercely contended category.
Judged twice by a panel of hairdressing legends and British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame members, Julie claimed her status as the best hairdresser in Northern Ireland after showcasing phenomenal original hair work which demonstrated not only technical skill, but creative vision and comprehension of current trends.
In addition to this, this is her third British Hairdressing Award which will see her join the BHA Hall of Fame in 2021, making her the first Northern Irish female stylist in BHA history to do so.
Delighted with the win, Julie said: “Thank you so much! Thank you to Schwarzkopf and HJ for making tonight happen, I am having a blast! Thank you to Goldwell for all their support, and a big thank you to Shane Bennett for making this happen and making me enter – it’s been amazing!”
Commenting on the win, Jayne Lewis-Orr, Executive Director of HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards said; “A huge congratulations to Julie. This win is a phenomenal achievement and career highlight, particularly after the difficulties faced by the industry this year.
"Julie’s hair work demonstrated unrivalled vision, skill and creativity, gaining her recognition as one of the best in the business.
“This year’s British Hairdressing Awards will certainly go down in history as one of the most challenging but rewarding events we’ve ever organised. The fighting spirit of the hair community shone through, despite not being together in person, and the reception from our virtual viewers was truly uplifting.
"I’m so pleased we had this opportunity to share the achievements of these truly outstanding stylists with all their supporters near and far.”
