Sebastian Professional announces North American & International Finalists for 2018 What’s Next Awards

Sebastian Professional just announced the North American and International finalists for the 2018 What’s Next Awards Competition. This year, the premiere hairstyling competition welcomed artists from across the globe for the chance to compete onstage with some of the best talent in the industry!

Hairdressers at Heart – students, professionals and affiliate artists – set out to shape the evolution of creative vision through innovative interpretations of Sebastian Professional’s Twisted collection. Finalists are now one step closer to becoming #WhatsNext, and will showcase their creative talents and artistic ambition at a Live Finale Competition –broadcasted on Wella Education’s Facebook page– in Los Angeles, CA on February 25.

The 2018 Sebastian Professional What’s Next Awards Finalists are: 

NORTH AMERICAN FINALISTS

STUDENT CATEGORY
• Rachel Alvord, Bellus Academy, Poway, CA
• Diana Keplinger, Bellus Academy, El Cajon, CA
• Amber Riegle, Salon Alesandro, St. Catherines, ON

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
• Keisha Mines, Nirvana Hair Salon, Richmond, VA 
• Erica Keelen, Studio Sage, Jacksonville Beach, FL
• Adrian de la Parra, Bellus Academy, National City, CA

AFFILIATE ARTIST CATEGORY
• Jonathan James, The Harlot, Los Angeles, CA
• Janet Algeciras, Hot Heads Salon, Boynton Beach, FL
• Samantha Gunn, Eric Alt Salon, Saddle River, NJ

INTERNATIONAL FINALISTS

• Rosallie Asmar, Björn Axén, Stockholm, Sweden
• Danny Van Tuijl, DVT Handcrafted Hair, Vienna, Austria
• Brodie-Lee Stubbins, Rokstar, Brisbane, Australia
• Harri Åkerberg, A.K.A Luova, Helsinki, Finland
• Yohann Jouvanceau, Jouvanceau², Lyon, France

All finalists will be evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges on the following criteria during the Live Finale: consistency with the Sebastian Professional brand, style & technical finish, and an overall look including holistic make-up and wardrobe. This year’s panel of judges includes Robert Lobetta, Sebastian Professional Creative Visionary; La Toya Velberg, Sebastian Professional International Artist; Dominick Serna, Celebrity Hair Stylist; Erik Gutierrez, Modern Salon Top 100 Game Changer; and Alison Alhamed, Editor in Chief of Modern Salon. The judges aren’t the only ones who have a say in this year’s competition. The People’s Choice Award will return to the 2018 event, and fans can vote for their favorite looks on the Sebastian Professional What’s Next Instagram page.

For more information about the 2018 What’s Next Awards Competition visit sebastianwna.com or follow @SebastianWNA on Instagram.

To learn more about Sebastian Professional, visit www.sebastianprofessional.com or follow Sebastian Professional on Facebook and @SebastianPro_Official on Instagram.