CONCEPT HAIR LEARNER OF THE YEAR 2024 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

At Concept Hair, we know hairdressing and barbering learners are super-talented and creative, and this shone through at the Learner of the Year 2024 Final. The finalists truly exemplified the bright future of hairdressing and barbering. What a day and what an incredible group of finalists!

The atmosphere at Telford College on 21st March was electric, as 54 finalists, whittled down from more than 2,400 entries from across the country, blew everyone away with their skill and artistry.

The Concept Team is thrilled to announce that the 2024 Concept Hair Learner of the Year is Kelly Edwards from The Grimsby Institute. Kelly also won her category, which was the first-ever Textured Hair category for the competition. Concept Hair wants to extend a massive congratulations to all those who took part in this year’s competition.

The finalists all brought their A-game to battle it out for the winning spot in their chosen category and should be extremely proud of themselves. It has been an absolute honour to see the next generation of hairdressers and barbers showing off their skills, vision, and talent. This year’s incredible category winners are:

Styling Level 1
Ceira Stobbs from East Durham College

Styling Level 2
Rosie MacBeth from Weston College (Knightstone Campus)

Hair-Up Level 2
Annie Ashley from The Grimsby Institute

Hair-Up Level 3
Faith Whitta from West Suffolk College

Barbering Level 2
Hilal Assad Younis from Kirklees College

Barbering Level 3
Kevin Kusmierek from Oldham College

Colouring
Shelby Smith from Bedford College

Textured Hair
Kelly Edwards from The Grimsby Institute

Avant-Garde
Jade Clarkson from East Durham College

Fellowship for British Hairdressing Foundation Award
Damilola Durosinmi from Walsall College

The event was not just a competition but a celebration of the future stars of our industry. It provided opportunities for learners to network, learn from industry-leading brands at the Education Stage, and be inspired by their peers’ skills, vision, and talent. Dom Lehane, Founder and Presenter of the leading hair industry podcast 'How To Cut It', served as the guest compere this year, adding a touch of charisma and expertise to the event.

Concept Hair Learner of the Year attracts sponsorship from some of the biggest brands in hairdressing, and the competition couldn’t happen without them. A huge thank you to all our sponsors for 2024: L’Oréal Professionnel, Alan Howard, Denman Professional, Diva Pro, Wahl Professional, WIG, The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, HTCI Platform, and VTCT.

Special thanks also go to the distinguished panel of judges who had the challenging task of selecting the winners from a pool of highly talented finalists.
The judges this year included:
- Head Judge: Jody Jones (VTCT)
- Matthew Sutcliffe (L’Oréal Professionnel Paris)
- Josh Lowton-Humphries (Alan Howard)
- Emma Dixon (Denman Professional)
- Michael Gray (Diva Pro)
- Rhys Whitehouse (Wahl Professional)
- Lisa Farrall (WIG)
- Ashleigh Hodges (The Fellowship for British Hairdressing)

We also extend our appreciation to Telford College for being fantastic hosts and to all the lecturers and salon owners who have inspired and supported the learners throughout this
journey. Concept Hair continues to be at the forefront of nurturing and recognising upcoming talent in the hair industry. This event is a testament to the incredible potential and future of our industry.

To view all the highlights from this year’s event, and to hear from the winners, go to Instagram #ConceptHairLOY24.