For this year’s Beauty Envision Awards judging panel, we selected the best of the best— each judge’s talents and qualifications are both inspiring and admirable. Future finalists, your fates are in their hands.

Stephen Moody: @hairmoody

Wella North American Education Director Stephen Moody is the judge for this year’s Beauty Envision Awards Future Star Category! Being the mastermind behind our continent-wide commitment to salon professional education, Stephen has devoted his career to helping countless stylist’s careers take flight and knows exactly what it takes for a student to become a superstar!

Christian Wood: @cwoodhair 

Do you have what it takes to style the stars? Wella Pro Celebrity Ambassador Christian Wood will be the judge of that! You guessed it, Christian will be judging the Editorial Hair category. With the ultimate star-studded clientele, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Emily Ratajkowski, and our queen bee Global Ambassador Sophie Turner, Christian is a Hollywood go-to when it comes to headlining hairstyles.

Whitney Burkhart: @wb_upstyles

The lovely Whitney Burkhart is the judge for this year’s Bridal Hair category! Recognized as one of the nation’s top upstyling and braiding stylists, Whitney has earned multiple nominations at top-level styling competitions. Whitney knows what it takes to win, so show her what you’ve got! 

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann: @1stladyofcolors

CoFounder, brand ambassador, & creative visionary behind OPI Professionals, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, will be judging the Nail Art category of this year’s Beauty Envision Awards! Not only is Suzi the ultimate girl boss, but she has also been an influential figure in paving the way for women to pursue their own colorful dreams. 

Kim Bruce: @themistfitblonde

There was no doubt in our minds when we chose Kim Bruce to judge the Kadus Total Transformation Category—misfit blondes have more fun, and what’s more fun than seeing the results of a hair transformation?! Known for her gorgeous before and afters, Kim is the fairy godmother of blonde dreams come true (and maybe your Beauty Envision Awards dreams, too!). 

Shay Dempsey: @shaydempsey1

We are so blessed to present creative visionary Shay Dempsey as the judge for the Creative Hair Category! As the Global Artistic Director for Sebastian Professional, Shay is nothing less than a master when it comes to fearless and cutting-edge styles. He is the ultimate judge to make the winning cut for Creative Hair. 

Ryan Weeden: @ryan.weeden1

Masters of Balayage founder, international educator, and entrepreneur Ryan Weeden is no stranger to making dreams into a reality. This hair painting expert knows all about creating the very best color and blend, making him the obvious choice to judge this year’s Color Artist of The Year category!

Mark Bustos: @markbustos

High-end stylist, Be Awesome to Somebody founder, and Beauty Envision Awards Men’s Hair category judge, Mark Bustos, has made a name for himself in the world of barbering. He has inspired us all with his commitment to using his talent to give back to the community by giving free haircuts to the homeless of New York City. We are so fortunate to have Mark continue to share his time and talent by judging this competition!

You already know the names of this year’s fabulous Beauty Envision Awards mentors, but do you know their stories? Find out a little bit more about your potential future mentor and check out their work below!

Sonya Dove

Color queen and Wella Global Artist, Sonya Dove is this year’s mentor for the US TrendVision Color Artist of the Year Category. Sonya’s extensive hairdressing and competition experience, along with her modern take on color, make her the perfect mentor for this category.

Check out her work here: @sonyadove

Dana Lyseng

If you’re a finalist for Canadian TrendVision Color Artist of the year, Wella Top Artist Dana Lyseng will be your mentor! As the owner and creative director of the super trendy Supernova Salon, Dana definitely knows her #WellaColor.

Check out her work here: @danalysenghair

Brenton Lee

Self-made celebrity artist, salon owner, and NATVA winner Brenton Lee will be mentoring lucky Future Star Category Finalists. From his start of cutting hair at age 14, Brenton went on to win numerous hairstyling awards across the US and to open his own salon in California. As an educator himself, there is no doubt he will guide Future Star finalists to success.

Check out his work here: @brentonleepro

Caroline Kim

The well-published Kadus Professional Global Director and colorist extraordinaire, Caroline Kim, is this year’s mentor for the Total Transformation category. The wealth of knowledge she’s shared around the world is sure to support stylists while they recreate their competition looks.

Check out her work here: @carolinekimhair

Anthony Cole

Finalists for the Editorial Hair category will be mentored by Sebastian Professional International Artist and Educator Anthony Cole. Anthony’s 27 years of experience, passion for education, and creative expression will be essential in the final round of the competition.

Check out his work here: @anthonycolesebastian

Diane Stevens

Mentoring the finalists of the Bridal Hair category will be NIOXIN Artist, Diane Stevens. Diane is no stranger to teaching and motivating hairdressers, and enjoys working with those who possess a love and commitment for the industry—a perfect match for this category’s finalists!  

Check out her work here: @dianestevens3

Marylle Koken

Sebastian Professional Artist, celebrity stylist, and creative legend Marylle Koken will be guiding the Creative Hair category finalists. As the owner of the edgy California salon The Harlot, Marylle is full of creativity and innovation that will inspire & guide these finalists.

Check out her work here: @kokentheharlot

Joshua Wagner

SEB MAN Barber Joshua Wagner is putting the men in mentor as the mentor for the Beauty Envision Awards Men’s Hair Finalists. After barbering for the US Navy and completing years of training, Joshua has educated stylists around the US. Finalists for this category are fortunate to have someone who loves to share his ideas and work with stylists to create incredible looks.

Check out his work here: @wagz227

Nail Career Education

Nail art aficionado Nail Career Education will be guiding Finalists through the Beauty Envision Awards Nail Art category’s final round of the competition. With her expertise & passion for education, we have no doubt this year’s Finalists will NAIL these looks.

Check out her work here: @nailcareereducation

You can say Sydniiee Oliveira has a flair for the dramatic, and there’s a good reason. “I became a stylist kind of naturally from working in hair and makeup for theatre.” The Visalia, CA, stylist conjures up custom formulas and has her selfies down to an art, showing off her own fantastic transformations—think blood-red colored contacts and impeccable makeup to match—plus, her hair has us double-tapping nonstop!

Sydniiee loved creating looks for the stage when she was working in theatre. “It just flowed over into actually making a career of it!” Now, her looks are gracing more even more stages. You can currently find her touring the country doing hair and makeup for rock goddess Ann Wilson of Heart!

Sydniiee’s next step? Taking the stage herself! Sydniiee was a TrendVision semi-finalist and is working to bring even more to the competition this year. “That was a really amazing moment for me, and I can’t wait to enter again this year! I want to be on that stage and I want to show people, in person, the kind of art I can create.”

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Hey #wellafamily – did you catch #WhatsNext? The 5^th annual Sebastian What’s Next Awards were LIVE last Sunday - and fierce would be an understatement.  Damaris Earlewine - past winner and present judge - is here to give you the inside scoop on what it takes.

So you may ask, how do you become What’s Next? Well, for one, you’ve got to take a risk.  

It all started for Damaris in her 2nd year as an independent hairstylist. “I thought about moments of doubt I had venturing out on my own, thinking I could fail. I was adamant on pursuing Sebastian What’s Next Awards with my creative visions. Sebastian WNA inspired me to put myself out there and take a chance on the unknown.”

The Sebastian What’s Next Awards are unique, not just in their ceremony but in the entry process. Each stylist is encouraged to explore their creativity and push their boundaries. “Sebastian has a way of capturing your attention with their innate ability for self-expression.”

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Frankie Daniels has been obsessed with hair since childhood. Who could blame him? (Not us!) 

Growing up in LA, he experimented with color and extensions long before he attended the Paul Mitchell school. After graduating, he had a head start to his career under the mentorship of Wella Top Artist Brenton Lee and Wella Master Color Expert Angela Le in Pasadena before moving to Portland, Oregon. 

But if Frankie wasn’t a hairstylist, he’d be in advertising or marketing—and it shows on his IG! “Social media is huge. I get about 80% of my clients from social media.” Double tap to that.

Frankie’s insider tips to a fascinating feed? “Keeping up with fresh new ideas for videos and photos makes a huge difference. Know your demographic and market every way possible to them.” 

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You’ve seen her on the ‘gram, creating amazing colors you barely knew were possible. But how did Kelly Naso get to be such a color goddess? Two things: dedication, and good old-fashioned hard work!

Kelly’s skills and drive have advanced her career—she’s currently enrolled in the prestigious Master Color Expert program—but she’s not slowing down anytime soon. “My goals are to become a Wella educator—I’m very passionate about Wella and would love to educate other stylists—and to potentially collaborate with other stylists!”

Once an artist, always an artist: before hair, Kelly studied art and worked in graphic design. But art itself wasn’t enough, and Kelly craved a way to bring her passion to work every day. Her skills and imagination were pushed to new levels in the MCE studio. And Kelly wants to share creative powers for good.

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They say age is just a number… and when it comes to NATVA Student winner Megan Hertel – they’re right. This 19-year-old’s got it and has definitely proved she can flaunt it.

Megan’s successful early career comes from a killer work ethic – and her inner power.

“My motto is so cliché, being from Kansas, but Glinda the Good Witch said it best: ‘You had the power all along, my dear.’”

And in total good witch style, one of Megan’s passions is uplifting and supporting other women. “I think women need to find the confidence in themselves more easily, and my industry truly helps bring this out.”

Which is exactly what brought Megan to cosmetology school. “Hair and beauty have a way of bringing out an inner spirit that I think everyone has.” And Megan’s spirit shined through with her fearless debut at NATVA in July!

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Ready to get comfortable with being uncomfortable? If anyone’s story is going to make you want to take that risk, try something new, or put yourself out there – its Cena Jordan’s.

She wasn’t expecting to win gold. She wasn’t expecting to compete on an international stage. She wasn’t expecting to represent the U.S. But she stepped up, believed in herself and brought her A game.

“My favorite part of the [NATVA] experience was being outside my comfort zone. I was put into an entirely new and intimidating situation and I feel that I have grown so much from it.”

Her biggest lesson? Confidence.

“I think it’s important to feel confident in your work—it’s something I have never been good at.”

But Cena shook off her doubts and went from unsure to unstoppable. She took bold and creative risks at NATVA – which landed her the gold Color Vision award and a coveted spot competing at the International Trend Vision Awards.

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“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, but where you’re going!” Josh Wagner lives by these words, and they’ve taken him far. From after school haircuts on his Kentucky front porch to keeping sailors looking sharp on Navy ships to New York Fashion Week… there’s no stopping Josh any time soon.

From the start, Josh’s first mentors Mike and Idajean Moore of Mii Salon drilled into him that education is no joke when it comes to a booming career in the hair industry. He took that mentality with him to the Sebastian Design team, where he met mentor #3 – close friend, teammate, and travel buddy Anthony Cole.

“I cannot even begin to tell you how much I learned from this man. He invited me to travel with him all over the country and other parts of the world.  I had to pay my way, which wasn’t easy as a young stylist, but the friendship and mentorship I received through the many adventures is a life’s work of what having a brother and mentor is all about.”

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Self-proclaimed colorist, stylist and magic hair-maker Ray Barron found his calling the old fashioned way. He took the scenic route (and figured it out in the process).

“Growing up, I was that kid that couldn’t stay home. I would get into too much trouble. So my mom or dad would always take me to my uncle’s house.”

Ray’s uncle was a hairstylist. “It became a ‘summer thing’ to work with him at his salon. Once I got into my teen years, I went to an academy high school focusing in art, but something just didn’t fit with who I was.”

Ray was searching for his thing, and began to find his path by looking at a few hair schools.  He went for it. A year later, he was licensed and “ready to rumble!” Fast forward 8 years… and he’s got some major street cred, along with an adoring clientele.

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