You must read the Most Wanted rules before preparing and submitting your entry. If you have any questions, please call us on +44 (0)20 7324 7540
Eligibility
1. Most Wanted is open to the owners and employees of salons, barber shops and other workspaces, as well as self-employed and freelance hair professionals, all working in the UK and Ireland. Please refer to individual categories for specific entry requirements, as these vary.
2. You may enter more than one category, but a separate Application Form is required for each entry submitted.
3. Duos may enter Business Thinker, providing they jointly own or co-direct the salon/barber shop/workspace.
4. Duos may enter Sustainability Hero, providing they jointly own the business.
5. It is not possible to enter Education Expert if you are an in-house educator for a product company.
6. Only individuals may enter Most Wanted Hair Trend (i.e., each entry must be attributed to a single individual), apart from in exceptional circumstances, where we may allow entries from a duo, providing both contributing parties always operate together as a duo and never individually. Evidence may be required. Please call us on +44 (0)20 7324 7540 to discuss.
6.1. Hair Trend entries are restricted to a maximum of three per individual. Multiple shots of the same look will not be accepted.
7. Only salons/barber shops/workspaces at a single location may enter Best Client Experience. It is not possible to enter as a group of salons/barber shops/workspaces.
8. Only teams working at a single salon/barber shop location may enter Best Salon Team. It is not possible to enter a team that works across several salon/barber shop sites.
9. An independent nomination process will determine finalists in the Session Stylist category. It is not possible to nominate yourself.
10. An independent nomination process will determine a shortlist in the Hair Icon category. It is not possible to nominate yourself in this category.
10.1. Those shortlisted will be invited to submit a Hair Icon entry and a panel of judges will then cast the deciding votes to establish the winner.
11. If you have won the same category three times (not necessarily in consecutive years), you become a Most Wanted Legend and are not able to enter that same category again. You are, however, free to enter any other Most Wanted category, where you do not have Legend status.
Completing the Application Form
12. A digital Application Form must be completed for each entry. Please ensure all the details provided are correct. We use this information for all communication purposes and in any publicity, should you reach the final.
12.1. The details provided on the form must be the entrant’s own, and not of a third party, such as a PR representative.
12.2. We communicate primarily by email, so an email address where you may be directly reached must be provided on the form.
13. Completion of the Application Form will generate a Most Wanted unique reference code, which will be required at the point of submitting the relevant entry.
Preparing your entry
14. Each category has bespoke set of criteria that must be followed. Please refer to the individual category pages, for full details.
15. Entries must be supplied in digital format. Please refer to the entry instructions for full details.
15.1 Stipulated content, page size/counts and video durations must be strictly adhered to, or entries may be disqualified. Please refer to the entry instructions for full details.
15.2. Entries must be saved and uploaded in the requested file formats and correctly labelled with your name and the name of the category you are entering. Please refer to the entry instructions for full details.
15.3 Please do not embed videos within PDF files – the judges will not be able to watch video embeds.
Submitting your entry
16. Only digital entries will be accepted and must be submitted via the Most Wanted Entry Upload system. Please refer to the entry instructions for full details.
17. Entries must be submitted no later than midnight on Monday 22 May 2023, except in the case of Hair Icon (at the point of naming, Hair Icon nominees will be provided with alternative deadline information for submitting entry materials).
18. Once submitted, entries cannot be returned (so save copies of your files!).
Copyright
19. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure all files submitted as part of their entry are cleared for publication in all Alfol Ltd print and digital products – including but not limited to all editions of Creative HEAD and all supplements, at creativeheadmag.com, on Creative HEAD social media – as well as in any Most Wanted live event materials (print and screen graphics/video), and in any post-event publicity and future competition materials.
Judging
20. Panels of expert judges will assess Most Wanted entries on tablets or laptop devices.
21. In the Hair Trend category, a maximum of 100 entries will be selected for judging by impartial industry representatives.
22. Judges allocate points to each entry based on a fair and independently supervised judging system. Scores are submitted to an adjudicator, who collates the marks to determine an overall result.
22.1. In the Session Stylist category, each nomination will carry a score. These scores will be tallied, and the highest scoring nominees will make it through to the Grand Final.
22.2. In the Hair Icon category, each nomination will carry a score. These scores will be tallied, and the highest-scoring nominees will make it onto a shortlist and be invited to submit materials for judging. The same scoring process will then apply as per all other categories.
23. There will be a maximum of five finalists in each category, except in the case of Hair Icon.
24. A list of judges will be available on request after Monday 12 June 2023.
25. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
Finalists and the Grand Final
26. A full list of finalists will be revealed online on Friday 16 June 2023. Finalists will be notified via email the same day.
27. Finalists will be invited to attend the Most Wanted Grand Final at Tate Modern in London on Monday 4 September 2023. Travel/accommodation expenses cannot be reimbursed.
27.1 If you finalise as an individual (e.g. Jamie Smith for Creative Talent), you will receive one complimentary ticket to the Grand Final even if you finalise in more than one category – this is because the individual person is the finalist. In circumstances where a duo has been allowed to enter and finalises, you will need to nominate one person to take the allocated ticket. If you finalise as a business (e.g. Jamie Smith Hairdressing for Best Salon Team), you will receive one complimentary ticket to the Grand Final per category. Exceptions to this rule are at the discretion of Alfol Ltd.
28. Finalists consent to being photographed and filmed at the Grand Final, and this content may be used later. They also permit Alfol Ltd the right to use their name, voice and photograph/recording in/on all Alfol Ltd print and digital products – including but not limited to all editions of Creative HEAD and all supplements, at creativeheadmag.com, on Creative HEAD social media – as well as in any Most Wanted live event materials (print and screen graphics/video), and in any post-event publicity and future competition materials.
General
29. Winners’ prizes must be accepted as offered. There is no cash alternative.
30. No employee of Alfol Limited, nor their families, may enter Most Wanted. No employee of Alfaparf Milano, Allilon, Avlon, BaByliss PRO, Great Lengths, JOICO, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, Olaplex, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Vagaro, Wella Professionals, or YUV, nor their families, may enter Most Wanted.
31. Entries will not be accepted after midnight on Monday 22 May 2023, except in the case of Hair Icon (at the point of naming, Hair Icon nominees will be provided with alternative deadline information for submitting entry materials).
32. If an entry does not comply with the category criteria it will be disqualified.
33. Entries may not be withdrawn, unless under exceptional circumstances. Verification may be required. Please call us on +44 (0)20 7324 7540 to discuss.
34. Entry implies these rules are read and understood.
Use of personal data
We will use your details to communicate with you for the duration of the competition. We will not pass on your details to third parties. Visit creativeheadmag.com/privacypolicy for more information. You may contact us at any time to request removal of your data by calling +44 (0)20 7324 7540.