Julie’s a cut above the rest of NI hairdressers

Salon manager and art director, Julie Cherry, from the Shane Bennett Salon fought off strong competition to gain the top spot in the fiercely contended category at HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional.

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.”

This is Julie’s 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.

Due to the current pandemic, the awards, which were hosted by television personality Rylan Clark-Neal, were held virtually for the first time in their 36-year history.

Commenting on Julie’s win, Jayne Lewis-Orr, executive director of HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards said: “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.”

She added:“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.

Commenting on her award Julie said: “A big thank you to Shane Bennett for making this happen and making me enter – it’s been amazing!”

Meanwhile, another Northern Ireland hairdresser scooped a top accolade at the prestigious event.

Sharon Malcom, hairdresser and the proprietor of Sharon Malcolm Hairdressing in Newtownards won Trend Image of the Year.

She said: “This award is particularly special as my image was up against imagery from some of the brightest and most recognised names in UK Hairdressin. I was honoured to be shortlisted in this category, and to win, is incredible.”

In another first for the awards, the beautiful trophy arrived with the winners the following day.

The British Hairdressing Awards have launched the careers of a host of household names: from John Frieda and Nicky Clarke, to TV stylists Lisa Shepherd and Andrew Barton.