The Australian Hair Industry Awards (Creative) named their 2025 winners at a gala evening on the final night of Hair Festival, celebrating the Australian and New Zealand hair industry at their talented best. Taking over The Star, Sydney, on June 30, the fifth year of this awards platform honoured 20 years of Mocha Group and a myriad of talented industry leaders.
With a competitive field of a 40 per cent increase in entries, a group of skillful winners took to the stage to accept their titles. The pinnacle titles of AHIA Creative Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2025 went to Bernadette Beswick of Beswick Education Services and AHIA Creative New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year 2025 went Sara Allsop of Dharma Salon. Multi-award winners includes Dee Parker Attwood of Wieselmann and Kristie Kesic of Cobelle Creative, who took home Collective Team of the Year together, as well as Hair Masterpiece of the Year for Dee and Master Colourist of the Year and BTS Dream Team of the Year. Natasha Tsangaris of Rokstar Salon was included in the HOT
SHOTS team and named as New Creative Talent of the Year and Harrison Sansom of A.H Salon won both NSW/ACT Hairdresser of the Year and Master Cutter of the Year.
The Tsiknaris salon team emerged as major winners. Bill Tsiknaris was honoured with the Dennis Langford Hall of Fame Award, Shae Tsiknaris won the Medal of Honour for winning Master Cutter of the Year three times, Domi Cherie won Queensland Hairdresser of the Year, as well as Make Over Artist of the Year, and the whole team won Salon Team of the Year.
“I’ve been so proud to be a part of this industry, it’s paved the way for an amazing life and it’s gotten me through some very tough times. In those difficult times I threw myself into work and photography and hair and the salon has been my saviour, and the people who have been there all the way through,” Bill said on accepting his Hall of Fame Award.
The illustrious judging panel, consisting of Errol Douglas, Mark Leeson, Candy Shaw, Vivienne Mackinder and media from the UK and Canada, judged a wealth of legacy and new categories including AHIA Creative One Shot Hair Masterpiece, AHIA Creative Editorial Hairstylist of the Year, AHIA Creative Make Over Artist of the Year and AHIA Creative Best Branded Video, which were all new to the platform.
The awards also inspired in their artistry with three bold stage shows. 20/20 Vision kicked off proceedings, honouring the two decade celebration, courtesy of AHIA Creative Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2024, Sam James, and AHIA Creative NZ Hairdresser of the Year 2024, Andrew Cobeldick. Then, Masters & Mavericks featured a talented team of hair legends, including Sharon Blain, Stevie English, Jayne Wild, Danny Pato, Joey Scandizzo, Shane Henning, Caterina Di Biase and Benni Tognini, featuring Avant Garde hair, including Jayne’s iconic dolls. CPR Hair finished off these fashion shows with an ethereal, oceanic inspired show, which reimagined organic beauty through the lens of AI and elemental innovation thanks to Natalie Chadwick, Paul Graham, Aimee Eagan and Paula Hibbard. Adam Williams directed each show.
With a three-course meal, philanthropic pursuits on behalf of the Tarrant Foundation and an after party sponsored by TONI&GUY and Label.M, replete with a glam bot, photobooth and DJ, the event was an all-rounder of the best parts of the hair industry.
The 2025 AHIA Creative Awards were sponsored by Dyson, CPR and Amazing Hair, and supported by Angel Extensions, Cloud Nine, Dateline Imports, Expo4Barbers, Goddess, Goldwell, Hair Candy, Kin Cosmetics, L’Oréal Professionnel, Matrix, Matsui Hair, Redken, Rogue Beauty, Schwarzkopf, Something Beauty House, Hair Festival and Wella, with additional support from communications specialists Lily Blue.
“We launched the AHIA Creative Awards to provide a platform where visionary talent could be recognised, supported, and celebrated. To witness this year’s incredible standard of work, with entries rising by 40 per cent and growing participation across both Australia and New Zealand, is truly inspiring. As Mocha Group celebrates 20 years at the heart of this industry, I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come and of the extraordinary individuals shaping what’s next. Congratulations to all our winners,” shared Linda Woodhead, Founder of Mocha Group.
Well done to the winners, listed below.
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Presented by Matrix
Caprice De Sanctis, Abracadabra Hair
EMERGING STYLIST OF THE YEAR
Presented by Rogue Beauty
Holly Evans, Respekt Your Hair
NEW CREATIVE TALENT OF THE YEAR
Presented by Dateline Imports
Natasha Tsangaris, Rokstar Salon
AI COLLECTION OF THE YEAR
Presented by mocha hair
Geoffrey Herberg
BRAND CONTENT OF THE YEAR
Presented by Hair Candy
Evo Hair
MAKE OVER ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Presented by Cloud Nine
Domi Cherie, Tsiknaris Hair
AVANT GARDE HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Amazing Hair
Stephanie Bellairs, Cabello by Stephanie Bellairs
MEN’S HAIR SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR
Presented by Expo4Barbers
Matt Clarke, Esq. Male Grooming
COLLECTIVE TEAM OF THE YEAR
Presented by Kin Cosmetics
Kristie and Dee – Kristie Kesic and Dee Parker-Attwood
SALON TEAM OF THE YEAR
Presented by Schwarzkopf Professional
Tsiknaris Hair
EDITORIAL HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR
Presented by Angel Extensions
Anthony Nader
HAIR MASTERPIECE OF THE YEAR
Presented by Goddess
Dee Parker Attwood, Wieselmann Salon
HOT SHOTS Team
Sponsored by Joico, Matsui, EVY Professional, Amazing Hair and DP Exogrow
Alyssia Pearson, TONI&GUY Broadbeach
Emma Boyle, Steph Meyer and Co
Georgia Maguire, Pierrot’s Hair & Brow Studio
Natasha Tsangaris, Rokstar Salon
MASTER CUTTER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Matsui Hair
Harrison Sansom, A.H Salon
MASTER COLOURIST OF THE YEAR
Presented by CPR
Kristie Kesic, Cobelle Creative
NORTH ISLAND HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Hair Festival
Tenielle Gillies, Flyger
SOUTH ISLAND HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Something Beauty House
Sarah McGuigan, Savvy Hair
NSW/ACT HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Wella
Harrison Sansom, A.H Salon
QLD HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Redken
Domi Cherie, Tsiknaris Hair
VIC/TAS HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Goldwell
Danielle Blakeley, Yoshiko Hair
WA/SA HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by L’Oreal Professionnel
Johnny Georgiou, Parlour Hair
BTS DREAM TEAM OF THE YEAR
Presented by mocha group
Photographer: Andrew O’Toole. MUA: Kylie O’Toole. Stylist: Catherine V.
For Kristie Kesic Master Colourist of the Year Collection
DENNIS LANGFORD HALL OF FAME
Presented by mocha group
Bill Tsiknaris
MEDAL OF HONOUR
Presented by mocha group
Shae Tsiknaris (3X Master Cutter of the Year)
INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by dyson
Marlon Hawkins, Brooks & Brooks, UK
NEW ZEALAND HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by mocha group
Sara Allsop, Dharma Salon
AUSTRALIAN HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR
Presented by mocha group
Bernadette Beswick, Beswick Education Services
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