Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Contessa awards?
Click here to read more about the Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards, which honour the best work for the year in the professional Canadian beauty industry.
How do I enter?
The Contessas are a photo-based competition. After shooting a collection, you must submit your entry online. Follow our instructions outlined on the entry page.
How do I know if I’m eligible?
The competition is open to every bona fide, working member of a Canadian* professional beauty salon, including freelancers to the industry and salon owners. Elite Master, International Hairstylist and Master Colourist is by nomination only. Students/apprentices who enter do not need to be licensed, but they can only enter the Canadian Salon Team and Student/Apprentice Hairstylist categories if they submit a letter from their school or salon confirming enrollment.
*With the exception of the International category.
What are the rules?
View the official rules and regulations, updated for Contessa 2022.
Can I enter multiple categories? If so, can I enter different photos from the same photo shoot?
You may enter as many categories as you wish, but some categories require an exclusive collection. This means, that for those categories, the collection must have a different look and feel from your other collections.
Work submitted in the following categories cannot be shared with other categories (exceptions in brackets):
1. Canadian Hairstylist
2. Elite Master Hairstylist
3. International Hairstylist
4. Master Colourist
5. Session Hairstylist
6. Canadian Salon Team (with the exception of Canadian Nail Artist, Canadian Colourist and Makeup Artist)
How are entries judged?
Judging is performed by independent professional beauty industry experts and beauty editors. Shown by number and category only, each entrant’s work remains anonymous. Judges score each entry on a point system relating to originality, creativity, fashion appeal, model suitability, technical execution, photography, makeup, wardrobe and overall concept. Scrutineers will review entries to ensure individual compliance with the rules and regulations, including excessive photoshopping of hair.
Where can photographers be found?
For an across-Canada list of photographers, click here.
How much photoshopping is allowed?
The spirit and intent of this competition is to showcase the work of hairstylists, artists and technicians. Major photographic or digital manipulation of the hair is discouraged (except for Avant Garde and Session). Based on the judging panel’s opinion, submissions that appear to have extreme digital manipulation will receive demerit points and in extreme cases, may be disqualified.
What do you mean by an ‘unretouched’ photo in the rules?
When submitting your photos, when it states that we require a ‘pre-photoshop’ or ‘unretouched photo’ with your entry. This is a final image that you want to submit for your collection but that is NOT digitally enhanced in any way. You will still also submit your final images, which have been photoshopped and which will be used in the judging process.
The working photo is not a photo of you working on the style. The unretouched photo is also not the same as the ‘Before’ image (which is required for some categories).
